


The Third Stackhouse

by mylovelylions



Category: True Blood (TV)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Magic, Original Character(s), Romance, Sex, Smut, Supernatural Elements, To Read, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-24 21:40:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 121,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylovelylions/pseuds/mylovelylions
Relationships: Eric Northman/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 138
Kudos: 368





	1. The Fourth Man in the Fire

_Sometimes it felt like I couldn't control myself._

"We need to go." Sookie's voice was quietly insistent in my ear, her hands firm as they tugged me away from the four, large coffins bubbling over with vampire guts and blood. The ratty slabs of plywood on all four looked like they were barely holding on. One good kick would send them overflowing to slop onto the lawn. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sookie glance around and then lean into my side, tears starting to brim over and dot her lashes. "Now, Runa."

Beside us, the charred wood of the house stilled smoldered, the wood cracking and popping in the Louisiana heat. Whatever these vamps had done, I wasn't sure that this was worth it. I gulped, my eyes going blurry as I stared too long at the mess.

"Ugh," John Billingsley muttered, giving the appropriate shiver of disgust. My mind shook with fury. We all knew that Billingsley was one of the creepiest motherfuckers that inhabited Bon Temp. Guts and gore were what he made his living from. And they didn't disgust him in the least - vampire, human or fucking unicorn. "Hope ya skipped breakfast."

Sookie's eyes fluttered back to the bubbling mess in front of us and I saw her already pale skin go two shades lighter. My stomach turned. Four vamps dead and Bill Compton was the last person to glimpse them. His sorry ass was probably stuffed, boiling and burning in one of these crates. And my sister was left here with her broken emotions and fear - Their lost couple of days shadowed by the three other motherfuckers lining their wood holding cells like last week's chili. Gasping softly, I felt Sookie whirl and dash down the hill to our little, run-down car.

Leaving me standing there with Coroner Billingsley and his newest pet, who barely looked above the legal age to drive a car.

"Did I do something to upset her?" Billingsley asked, his salt and pepper brows furrowing as his assistant glanced down at his notepad in embarrassment. At least the kid still had a bit of humanity.

My mouth thinned, my ears picking up on the distant call of Andy Bellefleur. "You okay, Sookie?"

Obviously she wasn't but it was nice of him to inquire. Particularly when he still thought that our brother was the prime suspect in a bunch of fang banger girls' deaths.

Billingsley still had that stupid look on his face, his eyes wide as they stared after Sookie. My eyes narrowed, bitter rage filling my mouth. I knew what he dreamed of. I knew that it involved Sookie and most of the girls in this town - one after the other dripping in blood on his examination table.

"The sight of you upsets most people, Coroner Billingsley," I said, my words tinted with a heavy southern drawl as I turned to find my sister.

It was a sweltering day. But then again most days in Bon Temp, Louisiana were, the air so thick that it felt like fog being breathed in. And that kind of heat only breeds the kind of scents that of death and - I shivered, curling in on myself as I wrapped a hand around myself. It was coming back again. I had never had nightmares. Not before - I gulped down bile as the crumpled body of my Gran flashed through my mind, her favorite nightgown soaked in blood and her hair tangled around her face over her blank, staring -

"Runa." I jerked, stopping suddenly beside Andy as he leaned down to look into my eyes. Right now I was the good Stackhouse. I wasn't running around killing girls or banging the undead. I was normal. The word swam murkily in my mind. The Stackhouses were _never_ normal. "You all alright? I know-"

"Thank you," I cut him off, falling back on the Southern belle tendencies that Gran had instilled in my sister and I. "Thank you very much for your concern, Detective Bellefleur."

I forced a smile for Bud Dearborne who was staring at me like he was trying to unwind a ball of yarn. He was smarter than Andy and - I hesitated, wanting to say something but instead skirting around the two and heading in the direction that Sookie had wandered off to. Both men feared the collapse of Bon Temp under the new order of things. The new order of living opposite the dead. They had dreamed about it more and more in the past weeks.

"Sookie," I whispered, creeping around the side of our car after pushing past the throng of hungry people, their eyes avid on one of the three Stackhouse siblings. They wanted news. They wanted gossip. Our Gran's death wasn't good enough. They wanted more. Always more.

The blonde haired girl was curled up against the driver's side of our beat up car, her shoulders shuddering in silent sobs. I crouched down, running a hand over her back.

"I can't take this anymore," Sookie sobbed, turning into to my shoulder to wail like she had when we were children. "How can this - I don't - Gran's gone and now Bill - What else am I supposed to do? Tell me what to do, Runa!"

"I-" The simple answer was that I didn't have one. What was I supposed to say? I wanted to say something but I was just as lost. I was just as - "Let's go home. We need to go home."

"Home?" She didn't argue as I lifted her, sliding open the door and pushing her into the back seat, her hair a mess and her eyes distant and red-rimmed. Silently, I got into the front seat and started up the car, driving us back towards our house. I tried not to look into the rear view mirror. When I looked it would just be her eyes and I knew - I could feel that invasive press of her mind against mine.

"Stop it," I finally hissed, turning onto our gravel road. The seats had been hot enough to burn my skin and I hadn't thought to turn on the AC so it felt like I was a human popsicle set out to puddle on the seats.

"How can you keep it together so well? How are you doing this?" Sookie's suddenly asked and I jerked, my knuckles going white on the steering wheel. "I haven't seen you cry. Not since we found her. She took you in. She was your Gran. She fed-"

"I know what she did," I snapped, slamming the car to a halt and yanking the keys from the ignition. Breathing in through my nose, I looked around at sprawling lawn and the old styled columns that kept the porch roof from slamming into the rickety, wicker swing and chairs. I also looked at the doors. The doors that had been bloodstained and barely hanging from their hinges. Was it odd that that was what disturbed me most? The doors? Not the body of my Gran or the slick feel of blood pooling between my toes and slapping up onto my ankles. It was the doors. The way that the killer had left his fingers all over the knobs and frames like he had groped it before decimating our home. I held back a shudder, looking down at the steering wheel. "I know what she did for me."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt for you to show it." I flinched at the hissed accusation, staying inside the car to bake as my sister got out and stormed into the house. She was mad. She was confused. In some ways, she felt like she was completely alone. I gulped back my own tears, hating myself for not being able to show her such weakness. As long as she stayed with me, she could take out all her hurt and anger on me. I would accept it without a single word of rebuke.

"So pathetic," I whispered, getting out of the car and heading slowly up the stairs and into the house. The slick sound of soap and water sloshing onto the floor reached my ears and I glanced around the bend to see my sister on her hands and knees scrubbing down the kitchen floor. Again.

She had learned it from our Gran. It was her way to get out of herself and leave it all behind.

I left her, shuffling up the stairs and into my bedroom. I had a shift in an hour at Merlotte's and nothing was going to stop me from taking it. Sookie could have her cleaning supplies and rags and I would keep my apron and shorts. Keeping busy helped. It helped me get away from all the dreams - all the uncertainty.

It had all started a while ago. Maybe we had never been a normal family. I let out a laugh, tugging off my shorts for a clean one that didn't have the stench of rotting vamp on it. We had definitely never been a normal family. Not with Sookie's telepathy and my abilities. I shut my eyes at the thought, trying to force down all the hatred and fear that bubbled up inside me when I thought about what I could do. Distantly, I heard Sookie scream in fury and something slam against the floor.

Last night she had dreamed about Gran dying. Again. I hated seeing it. Pressing my hands to my eyes, I crouched down in front of my bed. Every night I would walk through her dreams and they would be the same - every night since the murder. It was a useless gift. One that tortured me with its insistence. All it showed were fears and hatred. Nothing that made people happy. Only nightmares.

Slowly, my eyes opened and I was staring at the girl with the dark brown hair and the piercing blue eyes. Her lips were lush but beneath them were teeth that seemed a bit too sharp and a narrow nose. Her features were angular and sharp like they were meant for arctic winds instead of the homely heat of Louisiana. I looked so different from Sookie and Jason that it physically repulsed me. Tall and lean, I looked better with my hair wound through with braids or pressed tightly to my skull in a pony tail. Too sharp. Too calculating.

I quickly got up, hurrying to grab all of my outfit and yank it on before heading out of my room and down the steps.

Gran had told me the story when I was little - up until the point when I asked her to stop. An old family friend, my parents had died just before Jason and Sookie's. Gran had always been too kind - too good for the down - home hicks that sucked this place dry. She had taken me in, adopted me and laughed it off like it had been an unspoken agreement. But it wasn't. And when Sookie and Jason's parents had died she had been stuck with three mouths to feed.

Now she was dead.

"Sookie." I moved tentatively around the corner, peering into the kitchen to see that it had all but been torn apart as she brought out every cleaning supply that we had. At the moment she was yanking on a pair of rubber gloves. "I'm leaving for work."

"Uh-huh." I blinked at the sharp reply and then bowed my head, turning to leave. "Bring home some bleach, will you?"

I didn't say anything, heading for the door in sullen silence. I had liked Bill. Maybe that was too strong a word. I had liked the way that he had made my sister feel. I liked that her dreams seemed to subside at night whenever she had been with him. I liked that she was able to forget. I bit my lip. Now that he was gone… I pushed away the thought, climbing into our yellow car and starting the engine. I would think about that later.

* * *

_Give me a little love if you like it, yeah?_


	2. Resurrections

_Chapter Two: Resurrections_

"Where's my goddamn burger and fries?!" I screamed through the window, leaning over the dirty counter to lock eyes with the big, African American man chopping carrots. Like a doe, his eyes met mine, wide and bewildered. "I see you, Dale. You slow motherfucker. The table's been waiting for twenty minutes-"

"My name isn't Dale," he whispered and my eyes narrowed dangerously as I felt a dribble of sweat roll down my neck.

"Does it look like I give a flying _fuck_ what your goddamn name is-"

"WHO'S YELLING IN MY GODDAMN KITCHEN?!" My eyes zipped to Lafayette as he came out of the cooler with arms filled with potatoes and milk. Immediately, his eyes narrowed as he saw me, his lips quirking up like a cat that had just found cream. "Well if it isn't the sexiest, little hussy this side of Bon Temp. You know, many a man would like to fuck a woman when she looks as sexy as you do angry?"

"Too bad you're not on that list," I said venomously and he gave a hoot of laughter before I shoved the ticket with my order into the window, letting it slam into the wall just beneath the window. "And if you think for one goddamn second I'm going to deal with your nonsense when I have a table that's riding my ass for something to stuff their fat fucking mouths with than you are sadly mistaken."

His hands came down to lean over the counter into my space. It was really a shame that he was only into guys. He had more muscles and charm in his nose than most of these sorry sacks had in their entire bodies. "What you need, sugar?"

"A burger and some fries. No mayo. No pickles." The rest of their food was sitting on my tray just a few feet away with flies nipping at it.

"Mm." His eyes sparkled as he tipped his head to the side. "What's the magic phrase?"

"God-fucking-dammit, Lafayette Reynolds-"

"Sorry. Try again, honeybuns," he cooed, batting his lashes with a patient stare.

My mouth twisted around the bitter words, my eyes darting to the skinny redhead as she zipped past in a flurry of motion. Without Dawn, the former waitress who had been found a few days ago strangled, we were drowning. I wasn't even supposed to be serving. My official job title was a bartender to all the drunkards that wandered in here and stayed for the view. Sam was doing double-duty by manning the alcohol and checking his books.

"You look really nice in that top, Lafayette," I finally forced out, the words bland and painful. He kept staring at me. "If you were straight, I would be on your dick more hours of the day than we could have. You're a fucking _God_. Can I _please_ have my burger and fries?"

He gave another hoot of laughter and flipped a dry burger patty onto a toasted bun. "I am so glad that one of you Stackhouse's is fun enough to play with little ol' Lafayette. Jason's dumber than cow shit and Sookie's got her pigtails too tight to -"

"Give you an ego boost, you narcissistic bastard?" I grumbled, watching intently as he shoveled some fries on the plate and then flounced lazily toward me. When he finally got to me, I yanked it so hard from the counter that some of the fries flew into the fish sandwich. My eyes flicked back up to meet his and I gave him a slow smile as I hefted my tray up. "And I saw Tara in that top last week. Shame you couldn't fit the curves like she did."

Before he could let out more than an astonished yelp, I was scampering away and back into the crowded throng of Merlotte's. Smoke hung over the bar like a shroud, the diner lights above barely cutting through it to reach the guests that filled the ratty, busted booths and tables. Country seemed to be the main theme in the joint, the walls hung thick with deer heads and entire fish bodies that would sing and talk like we were in a damn musical.

"Fried catfish with onion rings, hamburger with french fries - hold the mayo and pickles, and clam chowder," I rapped off smartly, setting each plate down with certainty in front of the small family of three, their daughter looking down at her catfish like it might start kicking any minute. "Want some more sweet tea or-"

"I wanted onion rings," the mother piped up with a tip of her lips, her nose twitching like a rats as she eyed the burger and then slid it daintily to the edge of the table. Of course, it would be her, I thought venomously. If it were possible, I would have burned the whole goddamn place down at that moment. Not only had I had to endure all their whispers and looks but now I had to deal with a shitty tip too from a woman that looked like she had just been changing a baby's diaper.

"Poor Stackhouse girl," I heard someone whisper behind me and my nails bit into my palms. "Born and bred into a nutty family."

I took the plate, my fingers going white around the edges. "I'll get you those drinks and rings, ma'am."

Sam's eyes caught mine, worry dotting their murky blue depths. For a moment, I thought he was going to come around the bar and ask me what was wrong. He was sweet as a kitten and about as fond of the Stackhouse family as anyone.

"Whiskey!" Came a slurred voice from down the bar and Sam turned quickly to it.

"Now you know that you've had enough, Mr. Delment!" And he was turning away, his attention diverted. He would have come out for Sookie. Only Sookie.

The plate slammed into the garbage as I gave an angry yell, bowing my head as I clasped the rim. Talking, talking, talking - that's all these people seemed able to do. Rotten food filled my nostrils, clogging my throat and forcing a cough from me. They talked about the possibilities of Bill being in one of those coffins and the possibilities that Sookie would follow him into whatever hell vamps took. The days. The months. The hours. All of it was up for grabs.

Giving another yell, my foot went slamming into the garbage can, sending it crashing into the wall and then to the ground. Wilted lettuce and rotting food spilled onto the tile.

"Woah." Panting, I turned to see Arlene, clutching her tray to her chest and staring at me with wide eyes. "Darlin', are you okay?"

 _No_. "Yes." I blinked, turning to stare at the destruction I'd caused. "Shit. Sorry. I'll go-"

Clutching a hand to my mouth, I hurried around the bend to the storage closet for a broom.

"How long do you think it'll take until the third Stackhouse goes over the edge?" Two men sat in the booth just around the bend, their voices loud over the noise of the place.

"Isn't she already?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes until a spark of pain flamed up.

Sometimes you didn't need to be telepathic to know what all these assholes were thinking. I grabbed the broom, stopping by Lafayette to give him my order.

"Onion rings and put some saliva on the goddamn burger," I muttered and Lafayette laughed, flicking a spatula at me.

"You one naughty hooker, Runa." He winked. "Anything else on the queen's happy meal?"

"Anything you want, baby," I crooned, walking away to the sound of his laughter and back to the tipped garbage can.

Sometimes people just came out and said it.

* * *

I stared across the table at the sleekly dressed man, his black hair combed back from his forehead to let strays dip out and whisper along to his eyes. He looked unkept in the way that my sister liked in her men.

"You're alive," I stated blandly, leaning back more fully into my chair. Sookie grinned across the table at me, her fingers winding through his as she leaned forward like a toddler trying to keep a glorious secret.

Bill gave a small smile. "Well, in a way, yes."

My lips thinned. Personally, I would rather fuck a horse than Compton. That was something innately... _slimy_ about him. Not to mention that he was buttoned up to his adam's apple.

"In the way that we're talking about," I finished, taking a slow sip of my coffee as Sookie sent me daggers over the rim. Pressing my tongue to the inside of my cheek, I put my cup down. "So you're just gonna - _poof_ \- appear and disappear like our fucking fairy Godmother anytime you want?"

"RUNA!" Sookie hissed, her eyes plainly murderous. But I had questions. And they ended and began with the vamp sitting across from me.

"I just find it odd that you _literally_ chose three undead eyesores over my sister in the middle of a bar filled with her friends and family. And then you just... _disappear_ like some pixie bitch in a Disney film to come back brand spanking new." My eyes narrowed on the man, anger bubbling beneath the surface of my calm mask. "While three vamps and a fang banger lay in milk crates in the morgue."

"You have every right to be suspicious-" Bill started in his customary stiff manner. Were all vampires as boring as he was?

"No she doesn't," Sookie snapped and I met her angry gaze with a cool one of my own.

Bill smiled patiently, petting her hand. "But I simply thought it would be best if I went to ground before anything transpired between myself and those three vampires."

"And Sookie?" My fingers tapped against the table as Bill's eyes widened in surprise. "What about her? Or were you just dandy with the idea that those fuckers could come back any second and make our whole entire family into shish kebabs?"

"Runa, that is _enough_ ," Sookie snarled, rising from the table to take away our cups of coffee to the table, her shoulders tense. I had gotten to her. My lips thinned, my eyes drifting to the scratches in the table. "I don't know why you have to go on and on about something that is none of your concern-"

"But I am." My sister went quiet, her shoulders dipping slightly. Across from me, I felt the interested and awkward stare of Bill. I swallowed thickly. "Concerned."

Her eyes met mine and I felt the gentle press of her mind against mine. Like a locked door, my mind unhinged and creaked as I let her inside. _I just want to protect you. Couldn't protect Gran. Guilty. So fucking guilty. Please. Please. Jason won't - I want him here. He always hugged me. Fuck! So much-_

I shut the doors, yanking my gaze away from hers and back to the table as I heard her draw in a shuddering breath.

"Runa-"

I ignored her, meeting Bill's gaze again. "Promise me that you won't do this again."

For a moment, Bill didn't say anything, his brows dipping. But then he was nodding. "I give you my word that I shall protect your sister with my life - whatever bit of it there is left."

That was all I could ask. I wouldn't pry anymore than I had into my sister's life.

"On that note…" My eyes whipped up at the almost bashful tone that Bill's voice had taken, his eyes downcast. Aw _hell_ no. "Eric Northman requires a favor from me."

"Favors can be declined," I snapped before my sister could say anything. I had heard about the man. Dawn had said he was a good fuck but violent and the news said that he was a greedy, cold-hearted bastard that liked to make money. He had been the first human-vampire bar that Louisiana had ever seen. Only a very powerful, persuasive man could get away with that.

"Not with Eric Northman," Bill said evenly, his eyes giving away the utter truth of this. Sookie had gone blanched at the name, her mouth thinning with irritation. "He has asked for your... _talents…_ in settling a matter at his bar."

"Well, I guess if he's that desperate than he can come and ask me himself," my sister snapped primly, sitting down beside Bill as he winced. I watched the whole thing through a haze of calculation.

"I'm not sure that we have that right, Sookie."

"I have _every_ right."

"Not if we want to keep your gifts within our circle." Bill saw the weakness in my sister as her lips tightened, her eyes going to the ceiling. Slowly, he took her hands in his. "If we remain useful than he'll have no reason to divulge any of our transgressions or business to our Queen."

"Queen?" Sookie scoffed and my brows tipped up.

"Even the undead and damned have a hierarchy," Bill said with a bit of humor. "And at the top is the Queen."

For a moment, Sookie stewed. But in the end, her need for secrecy overpowered everything else.

"Fine," she snapped, yanking her hands away. "But I'm not happy about this."

"I would be remiss if you were," Bill said with a smile and I rolled my eyes, getting up from the table to get my jacket and bag.

"Where are you going?" I turned to my sister with quirked brows.

"With you all," I said flippantly, heading for the door and out into the muggy air. Fireflies sparkled through the air. It was too bad that we weren't going to a picnic. Or anywhere else but to a vamp bar. I sighed, pulling my hair back into a ponytail as I heard the shuffling steps of my sister and her undead lover. "Would Gran have like this Northman as much as she liked Bill?"

"She would have liked molasses being dribbled onto her carpet more," Sookie said blandly as she came to stand beside me. Her eyes turned up to meet mine. "You don't have to come. I'll be fine with Bill-"

"Please." I waved her words away, stepping down to make my way to the sleek car parked in the drive. "I wouldn't trust him to take you to a baby shower."

"It's nice to see that you are warming up to me, Miss Stackhouse," Bill said with a charmed smile and I snapped my tongue at him, getting into the backseat.

I knew very little about the vampire. I didn't particularly make it my business to find a lot out about my sister's love interests. Not only did I find that it was none of my business but I also didn't particularly think that I would need to know a passing recognition of them. They rarely lasted. But this one - I rubbed a hand over my eyes. This one was going to be lasting longer than I had first assumed.

 _Yippee_.


	3. Silence is a Part of the Game

Foreign was a good word to describe the vampire bar in Shreveport. The outside wasn't the threatening part. It looked exactly like any down home restaurant in Louisiana would. But through the open front doors, I could see the red and black leather furniture peeking around the corner. Strip poles on raised dance floors and high chairs with granite tables dotted the interior which seemed endless from the backseat of Bill's car. A long bar was just to the right of the entrance, the red lights glowing softly over the alcohol bottles and picture frames. Blood and sex - that's what this place was designed for.

"I would advise you to stay silent," Bill was saying tightly. He had gone through the whole conversation about this Eric Northman being a very powerful vampire, Sheriff, blah, blah, blah, Sookie getting checked out like a library book, blah, blah. My eyes were too busy taking in the red, glowing sign over the red canopy that guarded the front entrance. _Fangtasia_. Inventive. "You were not exactly in the plans for tonight."

I nodded, meeting my sister's gaze and opening my mind up for her. _If you need my help…_ Discreetly, she nodded before turning and getting out of the car. An interrogation was what we were going to be walking into. And although my powers were normally a plague, a little fear was all that most anyone needed to open up like a clam.

"If I had known before this moment that you would be coming with us than I might have suggested a…" I stared at him, slamming the car door shut and crossing my arms as he gave me a pained once over. Finally, he gave me a strained smile. "More appropriate attire for a meeting of my kind."

My eyes turned down to my black mesh top, my sports bra plainly in view and my ripped capris. Sighing, I walked past him to the door. I was pretty sure that these vamps would be able to rip off any clothing that covered myself within a matter of seconds. "Next time I'll make sure to wear a silver vest and some garlic. Invited guests first."

Giving them a wan smile, I let them pass me up and into the bar. Just out of my view from the open door were the three scariest motherfuckers that I had ever come across. Fuck Bill and his stupid little civil war puppy dog shit - These vampires made him look like a golden retreiver next to a couple of great white sharks. Goosebumps flashed up my spine as all my muscles seized was a natural instinct like breathing. Like a kitten coming across a couple of bobcats.

Leaning against the bar, a lean blonde woman in a light pink sweater and khakis eyed a shivering human in the chair just across from her. You wouldn't think that someone as cushy as her would look like she could slit your throat and then laugh over your corpse. She made it work. Deep scarlet painted her lips and dark makeup accentuated the icy depths of her eyes as they slowly ran over to us. Standing just behind her, flicking his fingers over an open flame was a man of Native American descent in a leather vest, his hair long and dark as it swept to his shoulders.

"I didn't know that we invited them to a free for all fucking barbeque," the blonde woman quipped, giving me a long once over and then a slow smile. I looked away.

The last one, his shoulders hunched in like he was trying to curve in on the human sitting just beside him. He made my blood go cold, my heart rate picking up just in time as his eyes flicked up and he gave a lazy smile. This had to be Eric Northman. There was no other answer to the utter predatory power that this man exuded. A black tank top hugged every curve of his chest, accentuating his defined arms and shoulders. He was attractive - there was no way that I would ever deny that. Sandy blonde hair hung down to his chin, where a light splatter of stubble softened his powerful jaw. The most striking thing about him were his eyes - wasn't that what it always boiled down to? They were cold and calculating, blocks of ice in the Alaska sea, frothing over at the edges.

A burst of pain sliced through my skull and I let out a hiss, pressing my fingers to my eyes as it skittered along my brain. I recognized him. _No_. That wasn't right. It was something about his narrow nose and sharp gaze. It seemed familiar. Painfully familiar. Like a picture your mom shows you when you're young.

"Runa?" Sookie was next to me, her eyes wide as she stared up at me, her hands going to my back. "Are you okay?"

I had stopped the whole damn procession. I should have gotten a standing ovation for how indiscreet I was being. Wincing, I forced my hand away from my face and moved to stand on the opposite side of Compton as Sookie. "Just lovely, sis."

The icy depths churned and Northman tipped his chin back. Sookie was right about Gran not liking this man. She would have turned her nose up at the way his eyes were nearly eating the clothes off of my body. My jaw set. I was pretty sure that a hoodie and sweats wouldn't have stopped that from happening.

"Have you acquired a second Stackhouse, Bill?" My insides shivered at the gravelly rasp that thickened his speech, drawing out the words until they seemed to scrape along my skin. His eyes stayed on me as he said them, an amused tilt coloring his voice.

"I'm afraid I have not had the pleasure," Bill said thinly and I sent him a long side-ways glance. _And you never would, buster_.

"Interesting," Eric mused and I felt an odd buzzing hum through my body as his smile turned predatory and then dimmed into a tame mask as he turned to Sookie. "Has Bill told you of our arrangement?"

My sister straightened and I saw the blonde woman give a patient smile against the bar. "Yes. But I-"

"Good," Eric cut her off, pulling out the chair across from the sweating human with a clatter. "Take a seat, Miss Stackhouse."

It was safe to say that by the time my sister sat down, she looked like a cat that had had her tail pulled on a time too many. Her back was ramrod straight, her shoulders up as she stared at the blonde man with a mixture of disdain and disgust. My spine went just as stiff as I felt Bill's hand slide into the curve of my back, his eyes apologetic as he gently pushed me to stand beside him at the bar, facing Sookie. She couldn't see either of us. My lips thinned, my mind opening up as I allowed her to feel a bit of my anxiety and worry. Slowly, her shoulders eased.

"Now that we're all settled," Eric said smoothly and I gulped as he made his way around the side of the table, his gate slow and steady. It was like watching Jaws all over again. "Pam, Longshadow and I are all partners in this club."

My eyes instinctively lowered to the ground as he passed, the feeling of his eyes moving over me sending a sharp bolt of unwanted awareness through me. He was a vampire. He could definitely hear how fast my heart was beating.

"And we recently noticed that 16,000 dollars has gone missing." I was suddenly very glad that I was beside Compton, his body positioned just in the way of the woman who I assumed was Pam and Longshadow. Slowly, Eric took his hands from his pockets and squeezed the human's shoulder until he made a squeal similar to a pig's right before it died. "And Bruce...is our _accountant_ … Perhaps you can start by listening to him."

"He isn't saying anything," my sister snapped defiantly and I resisted the urge to go over and shake her. We were already in this maze of death. She knew that we need her to get out of here without being bait.

"Don't be coy," Eric said, not even glancing up from the human who had begun to sob quietly. "It's humbling enough to turn to a human for assistance. We know what you can do."

There was irritation in those words, his shoulders rolling like a caged animals as he looked around his bar.

"And I know what you can do too. Why don't you just glamor him?"

"Now don't you think we might have tried everything before summoning you?" Eric said, annoyance now plainly obvious in his voice as he gave my sister a sharp glance. "So… It would be a great favor to me and to Mister Compton if you helped us."

I stayed as silent as possible under the overwhelming tension. My mouth had gotten me into a lot of trouble. But no one would ever say that I hadn't learned from all the backyard beatings I had gotten when I was young. And I definitely wasn't going to be baby food for some greek god who looked like he could tear whole cities down with an indifferent sweep of his hand.

"If I found out who did it," my sister said carefully. "Then what?"

"We'll turn that person over to the police and let the authorities handle it from there."

I didn't look towards the deep voice coming from behind the counter. Instead my eyes were dragged up to Eric as they flicked indifferently and a bit sardonically over the Native American vampire. I had a feeling that the blonde haired man would not have made the same offer.

He would have told the blunt, horrible truth.

My sister scoffed, her eyes meeting mine in a what the fuck moment. I shrugged. Who knew how dumb these vamps thought we were - two country girls with the southern drawl and the tits to match. And what were we honestly going to do if they refused? Come out and protest outside the fucking bar?

"Hundreds of years old and you're _still_ a terrible liar," Sookie snorted before whirling back to stare up at Eric as Longshadow gave her a snarl. My eyes finally flicked to the vampire, giving him a sneer that could have melted the skin right off of any country hick within a ten mile radius. "I'll make you a deal. If you promise to hand over the person who did this to the police, I'll agree to help you anytime you want."

" _Sookie_ ," I hissed out, stepping forward as rage sizzled along my skin. All eyes turned on me, Eric Northman's mouth tipping up in a dare-me-not way that had my hackles raising. I met my sister's eyes, silently pleading with her to take everything she had just said back.

If she needed my help today than I would be roped into this little deal as well. There was no doubt in my mind that oddities were something that vampires rarely came across in their existence. Sure they lived through history. But after a while - human after human after human, sex and gore and blood - it had to be the dullest existence that they had. A step up from human existence was one thing. Concurring was the next. Eric Northman looked like a man who enjoyed concurring things that he couldn't - shouldn't have.

 _My abilities_. The emotion pressed into my mind and I stared at her as my nails dug into my palms. She didn't know what she was doing. I bared my teeth at her, forcing all of my logic into her like a scream. Her skin went the color of paper, the sudden realization of the jeopardy that she had placed not only herself but me in as well suddenly pressing down on her. But it was too late.

"Alright," came the low voice, that familiar sarcasm lighting up the words. I gulped, dragging my eyes away from my sisters to meet Eric's. Curiosity. Was it odd that that was more terrifying than any other emotion that I could have seen there? I leaned back, dropping my gaze to the floor again and ignoring Bill's bewildered stare. "Why not?"

My mouth thinned. He knew what he was doing. How could he not? I closed my eyes, hunkering down against the bar. I hadn't told Sookie through our link about the unstable ground that she had put me on. Just the logic of what this man could do. What he could make _her_ do. Maybe I should have. That would have saved me.

"Bruce it's okay," I heard my sister whisper. "Take a deep breath… Did you steal their money?"

I looked around. The way that all of these vamps were looking down at poor, ol' Bruce was the farthest from nice that I had seen in awhile. I wondered why they hadn't just flayed him and questioned him that way.

My sister's shoulders tightened, a dribble of sweat rolling down her neck. She spent so long ignoring the voices, I was sure it was painful having to open up to them so completely. Painful and physically taxing.

"No," Bruce started out calm but quickly spiraled into hysterics. "No, no! Ya gotta believe me, I didn't do it! I swear to ya!"

He was so filled with fear that I could barely get around the stench of it. His dreams opened up to me. His nightmares. My eyes slitted as I stared at the beads of sweat collecting around his eyes. Vampires. Vampires all night long. He breathed them in during the days at his desk with his numbers but at night - well, that was when the monsters came out. He dreamed about what he saw when he had snuck in on the blonde one in the basement. Opening the door-

I jerked, blinking away the images as he got up. Bill was watching me out of the corner of his eyes.

"You trust the skinny one to clear the fat one?" Longshadow questioned vehemently.

"That skinny one just cleared your prime suspect," I said before I could think, my eyes staying on the accountants sweat soaked back until he disappeared out the door. "I would think you would be happy. You won't need to bribe another accountant to keep all your dirty little secrets."

Longshadow let out a hiss which I fully reciprocated, watching as his eyes darted to the rows of sharp teeth lining my mouth. Dull enough to pass as human but jagged enough to bite off his tongue. Pam let out a chortle, throwing her head back in glee.

"Runa-"

He was in front of me in a secret, the bulk of him crowding me against the bar before I could even let out a breath. My sneer dropped, my heart rate increasing painfully as I tried to look anywhere but his eyes. Just over his shoulder seemed like a good option.

"It's actually quite easy to bride an accountant." He leaned in until I felt his cool breath running along my ear, my insides quaking at his close proximity. "Everyone has their price."

And then he was gone and I was left with the attention of two vampires and my sister on me. Not doing too well to fly under the radar, huh? Maybe I should throw on a sombrero and _jarabe tapatio_ on one of the granite tops.

"Bring the next one in," Eric ordered offhandedly, a slight nod in Pam's direction.

I tightened my lips, settling back for the show as the humans were paraded in front of my sister one after the other. By the fifth one, her shoulders were slumping, her hands slightly shaking.

"No um," she mumbled out, before pressing a hand to her face. Tiredly, she turned to me, her eyes confused. "Runa…"

_He's not even shaken. He's hiding something but I just can't get past all the bullshit._

My eyes moved to Eric, his tall, lean figure imposingly vigilant. He looked like he was the closest out of anyone to ripping out the scrawny, little weaklings throat and bathing in his blood. Slowly, I turned back to my sister. _Are you sure? Mr. Northman looks like he's doing a good job._

A spark of sarcasm lit her gaze, her lips tilting down. _Just help me._

My muscles creaked and my joints popped as I leveled myself from the bar.

"Miss Stackhouse-" Bill started to hiss before Sookie stopped him with a calming smile. The other vamps didn't seem to be as appeased by that. I felt like I was walking through a minefield as I rethought my route to the human by skirting around Eric who smirked in amusement. That seemed to be his resting face.

Taking a breath, I put a hand on the boys bony shoulders, ignoring his sputtered rebukes as my fingers gently skated down until I could feel the beat of his heart beneath them. Fears - he had too many to count. Water. He couldn't swim. Cats weirdly enough - he had been mauled by one when he was little. And then - I slipped my hand into his breast pocket, drawing out a rose gold watch that was dainty enough for me to snap it in half.

"He's free to go," my sister's voice chirped out, filling the room as I made my way to the blonde vampire. Her brows quirked.

"Presents so early on?" she mused, her head tipping to the side as she eyed my outstretched hand, the watch glinting softly.

"He's been dreaming about the moment that you find out that he took this from you," I said, turning to stare back at the wide-eyed boy, his shaggy hair falling into his eyes. "A secret admirer."

"Hm." Her lips tipping up and her eyes flashing as she eyed the shaking human. "Well isn't that absolutely _delightful_."

She was the one to take him out to one of the back rooms. He didn't return.

"Have you been hiding something from me, Compton?" Eric inquired softly, the humor in his eyes belying the overwhelmingly predator way that he was staring at me.

"I - I assure-" Bill stuttered out but Sookie cut him off.

"My sister didn't have the same obligation that I had to Bill."

"It was my secret to keep," I finished, forcing my eyes to meet the cool depths of his. Smug contemplation filled the harsh lines of his face. It was the kind of attention that a normal girl wouldn't want. My jaw set and I turned back to the empty chair, breaking his gaze. I was a normal girl.

Sookie's eyes met mine over the head of the next human. What had she gotten us into? The side of my face felt like an open flame, Eric's eyes boring into the side of my skull. Pam looked like she had just eaten a canary.

I gulped, focusing down on the heartbeat under my fingers. Nightmare after nightmare. Fear after fear. They ate me up. In the night, I felt like I could barely contain my want for blood, for fears and tears and all the emotions that came with both. This invasiveness was eating up my humanity.

I jerked my hands away from the human female as if she had caught fire beneath my fingers, my breathing ragged and sweat rolling down my back. Beside me, I heard Eric rumble and I saw the twitch of his nose as his eyes narrowed on me. That gaze sent hot shivers down me, something secret and mean awakening. Blood. Gore. Sex. I winced, rubbing my hands reflexively as I hunkered down until the next human was set in my chair.

"Runa, you don't have to-" My hand was already pressing over the boy's heart, his breathing going unsteady as he felt the heat of my body against his back. My eyes narrowed, catching on a bit of torn flesh around his neck, just beneath his collar. _Shit_. Nail marks.

He beat his wife every single night. I gulped, my fingers digging into his shoulder as my hearing went fuzzy. Last night he had raped her. Good thing they didn't have kids. Good thing they didn't have to hear her sob and scream. Damn. Death. He stunk of it. Her dead eyes - still breathing but dead all the same, like it was just her bones and blood keeping her there.

"Is he cleared?" I forced out, my words strained and uneven as my vision snapped in and out. Sookie was looking at me like I had grown a second head.

"Y-yeah-Oh my god! RUNA, STOP!" My fingers dug into the hair at the base of his skull before I could think, sending his head slamming into the table. I wanted to do more. My whole entire body tensed to do more. _Sometimes I felt like I wasn't in control_. I stumbled back, hatred and disgust clouding my vision as I heard the man moan.

"Well, this just got more entertaining," I heard Pam muse. I could still hear her screaming. Desperately, I pressed my heels into my eyes, trying to get it out with a sharp burst of pain. Sookie soft voice was whispering to the motherfucker-

"Human." I shivered as a hand ghosted along my arm, callouses roughening the skin, removing my hand from my eyes and tipping up my chin. Eric. "Speak."

My breathing evened. It was a simple command. In and of itself, it _was_ a command. It shouldn't have made me feel any better. But it did. I licked my lips, keeping his gaze as his thumb began to make gentle lines across my jaw.

"He beats his wife every night." Sookie stopped touching him, her body flinching away from the human man like she had looked into a baby stroller to find a rattlesnake. Eric's eyes hardened. "Ineptitude. Hate. He dreams about raping her - every night. He dreams about it."

"Fucker," I heard Pam hiss from across the room and I looked away, suddenly feeling very confused.

"SHE'S A LIAR!" The man screamed as the blonde hauled him to his feet and away from my sister, her face a sickly white. "I DIDN'T DO-"

"That's a good bit of information," Eric mused, his fingers tightening around my jaw as I went to pull away. Laughing blue eyes held mine as he moved a bit closer, his lean chest brushing along my front in a light tease. "You are becoming quite an interesting case, little human."

With one final wolfish grin, he released me, brushing around me to make his way to the howling in the back room. I closed my eyes, putting up every difference that I had to keep out the rest of his dreams. I couldn't meet my sisters eyes as she watched me wander back to the bar and take a seat a couple stools away from Compton.

I remained there as the next girl - Ginger - stumbled in, Pam and Eric both coming back into the room looking like they had come back from a picnic. Sookie looked like she was going to be sick. How was her little deal working now?

Barely there, conversation dribbled in through my numbed senses. I was trying to blank it all out. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see anymore of the wretchedness that inhabited this bar.

"It's a vampire." My head snapped up at that, catching the astonished stare of my sister. Right before -

I lunged forward, Sookie's scream piercing the air and bouncing off the walls as Longshadow slammed into her. He was overtop her. Panic pumped through me, my body feeling like it was going through molasses as I tried to make it to her. Too far - Her mind exploded in mine - the effect like a stun grenade going off in my head. I stumbled, crashing into the table and then slamming to my knees, my head ringing and my vision popping. Bile rose in my throat, my arms and legs spasming as I fought to stay semi-upright.

"Ginger, enough!" Pam's voice, irritated and closer to a snarl than I had ever heard her. I blinked, trying to shake out my head.

"Thank you," Eric murmured. My brows furrowed, my mind trying to digest everything that was going on around me.

"Well, that's unfortunate." I shook out my head again, blinking up at Eric as he crouched down in front of me, tipping up my chin. "Our little human is clumsier than expected."

I mumbled out a breath, the ringing still bouncing off the inside of my skull like a tennis ball. Something was making an odd gushing sound. Fingers combed back my hair, exposing my temple. My eyes fluttered shut, an odd stillness filling my mind at the touch.

"Ginger, will you _please_ shut the _fuck_ up?" Pam snarled, pushing past the barely clad woman to come over to us. Still dazed, I stared up at her, my eyes narrowing and widening as her figure blurred in my vision. She smiled. "At least this one is a bit more of a bite than the other one."

Sookie was still crashing into my mind, her feelings mixing with horror and disgust. And just blank confusion. I swayed forward, barely catching myself with my hands, my hair loosening from my ponytail until it all came cascading down around me. Fuck. I wanted to throw up. Maybe if I threw up I would be able to think again.

"Humans," Eric was musing above me and I mumble incoherently as strong hands turned me, his long hair tickling around his face as he propped my back up against his front. Fingers still tangled through my hair, keeping it away from my face as he ran a critical eye over me. "Honestly, Bill I don't know what you see in them."

"You seem quite interested in one at the moment," Bill snapped back acidically, his mouth curved bitterly as Pam snorted.

"Oh, good one," she quipped, strolling out of the room.

"You would be right…" His smile grew predatory as he leaned down around me, his other hand skimming along my hip. "If I didn't suspect that this little human wasn't all she pretends to be."


	4. Nótt Elska

I winced, pressing my lips more tightly together as Eric circled me, his eyes keen with predatory intent. I felt like a kitten that had wandered out into the middle of the sea and suddenly found that a great white was circling me. The only thing left to do was put on the same mask of indifference that I had acquired in serving the snippy little pricks that ate at Merlotte's.

"It always amuses me when humans try to pretend like they're completely impartial to my presence." His fingers skimmed along the back of my hands, sending an electric current up my arm. I hissed, baring my teeth at him , the instinct to fight back kicking in. Eric smirked, a daring kind of light turning his eyes the color of a freezing lake.

"And here I was under the impression that you think I'm not human," I snapped, barely reigning myself in as he circled to my front again.

"Close enough," he dismissed, his hand flicking out ghosting across the shell of my ear.

"Stop touching me," I hissed which only seemed to amuse him more as his fingers made a cool trail down to the curve of my collarbone. My breath stalled. I stilled. The tips of his fingers aligned perfectly and gently over where my heart pulsed beneath my skin. Fear skittered up my spine. Definitely like a kitten being circled by a great white.

"Close enough to human," he murmured, his eyes almost hypnotic as he gave me a slow smile. "That I could rip out your beating heart right now and you would crumple to a heap at my feet."

I shivered, my eyes flicking to the floor. He was right. I felt like I was in more danger than ever before, the realization making my heart beat painfully against my ribcage. And the most terrifying thing was the other realization that came along with that. That the man standing in front of me, his fingers dancing along the skin exposed by my top, was the most powerful person that I had ever come across.

My lungs ached painfully as I kept my mouth shut, my lips trembling the barest amount as he leaned forward, his fingers dancing back up my collarbone to cup the nape of my neck.

"But I won't do that." His breath blew coolly along the shell of my ear, causing a resulting shiver to roll through me as he pulled away and I caught his smirk.

"Eric," Bill hissed threateningly as I finally sucked in a breath and Eric tilted his head toward the man that was still situated near the bar. Sookie had long since gone into the bathroom, Pam running off to find her an extra pair of clothing. I closed my eyes, listening to the quiet sobs of Ginger and the sloshing of blood and vampire bits being heaved into a bucket. Poor girl had been forced to clean up the mess.

And I had been left to get the second degree by Mr. Northman.

"I almost forgot that you were here, Compton," Eric drawled, his eyes going heavenward as an expression of complete loathing tilted his lips down. I stared up at him through my lashes, my head still bowed. He was powerful but there was something extremely likable about this man. And that, in itself was what irritated me the most. His eyes met mine. I quickly let my eyes slide back to the ground. "Have you claimed her as well as the blonde one?"

"Like hell," I snarled before I could help myself, my shoulders rising in indignation. Dammit. Bill's eyes met mine, his expression similar to the one my Gran got when she had caught me feeding our goldfish hotdog bits.

Eric gave me a wolfish grin, his fingers going to tug at the dark strands of my hair as he leaned in to whisper in my ear again. "Keep that attitude, little human."

"I have claimed her sister-" Bill snarled, trying a different track as Eric pulled away from me with an eye roll.

"Does claiming a human automatically make you their whole families protector now? I didn't think I was so far removed from our politics." Eric mused, his head tipping back as he turned a cool eye to Bill who looked absolutely enraged at being this tongue-tied. Eric's eyes slowly turned back to meet mine. "Did you drink from Mr. Compton, little human?"

This seemed like a trick question. I wasn't sure about claiming and everything but the way that Bill was looking at me - I knew that it mattered. It mattered and I sure as hell wasn't going to roll over even if Eric's presence did make me want to do exactly that. I blushed. And a little bit more. I couldn't lie. I sucked at lying. My lips pressed tightly shut, my eyes dropping to the floor.

It was a bad idea.

I gasped, trying to press down on my initial instinct to arch as Eric's fingers tangled in my hair, forcing me to meet his eyes. He was barely wearing anything. I was barely wearing anything. And he was pressing me to his front like I was another layer of clothing. I hissed out a breath, heat burning up my spine along with something more carnal. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts. My mind went a little bit fuzzy as I felt the slow roll of his chest against mine, his abs contracting against my stomach. Dammit. I let out a squeak, agitated tears collecting in my eyes. This motherfucker had to be a spartan in his human life to have a body like his. It was a damn near injustice.

And he fucking knew it, the asshole.

Eric's lips tipped up even more, the fingers in my hair pulling a bit more as if he was reminding me. "Tell me."

_Fuckity fucking fuck fuck FUCK!_

"No."

His smirk grew into a full-blown grin, his lips skimming along my ear. "Good girl."

And then he was pulling away with one final tug on my hair, the effect going straight to my own arousal. _Fuck all these vamps_ , I seethed, shooting a wilting glare towards Compton. I couldn't glare at stupid Eric. He would just laugh. Bill gave me an apologetic stare as the taller man turned to him.

"You have no claim here," he drawled nonchalantly. With a mockingly sympathetic final stare, Eric turned back to me, beginning his circling once more. I felt stripped bare. I felt like his eyes were hands, each sweep running over my bare skin. My arms, my waist, my breasts. Heat rolled up my neck. " _Runa_."

The way he said it sent hot coals up my spine. Far from the awkward southern drawl that was accompanied with the unusual name, the way he said with was smooth. He rolled the initial r and made it sound like… something else. My eyes met his, my breath stalling as he circled in front of me. His eyes had gone calculating as they wandered over me, considering.

"Odd name for Louisiana," he mused and my eyes narrowed. He was testing the waters. He was digging around for something.

"The world is filled with odd things, Mr. Northman," I said thinly, my spine going ramrod straight.

"I think you can give me a better excuse than that. Come on. Be inventive."

I glared up at the tall man, meeting his eyes. "I didn't think I would have to defend my name. You might want to talk to my parents."

His teeth flashed as he grinned down at me. "I would love to talk to your mother and father, Mrs... _Stackhouse_."

My jaw worked. "They're dead. You can go to their graves and try to resurrect them if you want though, Mr. _Northman_."

His brows quirked. "Is this where I'm supposed to say that I'm sorry?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

"My apologies." He circled me again and I felt his eyes running along my back.

My voice dropped to open aggression. "Is there a point to this?"

"You look nothing like the blonde one," Eric stated blandly and my nose twitched. It was a tick of mine. I was so fucking pissed. This man was getting under my skin more than any other person on this planet that I had come across.

"I'm adopted."

"Last name?"

My tongue worked around the words that were about to spill from me. This wasn't going to be good. My eyes met his expectant ones.

" _Nóttelska_ ," I whispered and his lips twitched. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Bill shift as well.

" _Nótt elska,"_ He said it like my name was two different words. I blinked. And then before I could draw in another breath, he was beside me again, his fingers brushing back the hair at my neck as he took a deep breath. He was sniffing me, his nose traveling up my neck in a long inhale. " _Mara_."

"Eric." My eyes snapped toward the blonde woman standing just by the doors to the women's bathrooms, a sardonic smile curling her lips. "Hogging all the goodies already, _master_?"

The blonde man drew away from me, his fingers gently untangling from my hair as he rumbled out a laugh. That was when I realized that his fangs had come down. Shit. My heart shivered inside of my chest, the air that I had collected in my lunges suddenly going stale. How close had I been to being bitten? Would I have fought him? My body was definitely telling me that I might have been closer to throwing my arms around his neck and letting him suck the fucking life out of me. And then after that I might have ripped off my own panties for him. Fuck!

Pam's eyes met mine, her nose scenting the air as her fangs clicked down into place as well. "Smells like candy and sex."

"For another time," Eric said with a hint of humor in his voice, breaking away from me with what was becoming a tradition by tugging lightly at my hair.

"For yourself you mean," Pam said with a sigh, her eyes lingering as they traveled over me. She scowled across the room at the blonde man. "You always were a selfish bastard."

"Language," Eric chided with a smirk, wandering over to Bill.

Suddenly ice blue eyes were staring into mine, red lips pulled up in a sultry smirk.

"Pity," she drawled, one long nail running up my throat. "You would want to play with me, right? Boys don't know how it works."

Eric snorted across the room and I got the sense that he knew all too well how the female body worked. His eyes were translating that message loud and clear to me at the moment. Somehow I forced my eyes away from the sexual pits of absolute heat.

"I don't want to play with anyone in this bar at the moment." I gave her a thin smile. "Even the undead slush that Ginger's cleaning up right now."

The girl in question let out a bubbling sob, ending in a series of gags.

Throwing her head back, Pam gave a loud laugh and then gave me a long, sardonic stare. "Good for you. That's what I told myself when I was a good little human too."

I gave her a toothy, unhumourous smile, submitting to the southern belle accent that I had tamped down to a gentle lull. "Glad to still have the title."

"When Ginger is finished," Eric suddenly cut in, his gaze a blank mask as he stared down at the skinny blonde. His eyes flicked up as Pam gave a sigh and made her way to his side. "Glamor her for me."

Her brows tipped up. Across the room, I met Bill's eyes and blatantly ignored the accusation in them.

"Are you sure? She's been glamored one too many times already. Who knows how much of her's left."

I kept my mouth shut. I knew exactly the answer to that question.

My eyes skated across the bloody floor, slick with tendons and melted down muscle. Her dark eyeliner had smudged, slithering down her chin to make her face a grotesque mask. It was a testament to her usefulness that they hadn't simply hauled her into the back and drank her into a rubber glove of bones and skin.

Even I could sense how badly she had been damaged. Her fears were white around the edges and so numerous that they could fill the entire sky. She was a broken record that was skipping and repeating the same song.

"Either that or turn her." Eric looked decidedly blank to the option. "Want her?"

Across the room, Bill shifted, his brows furrowing at anger. Apparently he didn't approve of how laxly they were tossing around the option of turning a human. But how much could you call someone a human when they were so warped on the inside? She barely had her fears and nightmares to herself.

"Please," Pam scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not that desperate. Glamor it is."

"Excellent," Eric murmured and I quickly lowered my gaze back to the floor as I felt his eyes run to me. There was no way that I was going to let him try out that little trick on me. Through my lashes, I saw shadows pass by. A hulking shadow with blonde hair. "Come. I'll buy you a blood."

For some reason, I didn't think he was talking to me. My shoulders relaxed. I let out a breath. No more questions. No more sexual tension.

Too soon. I drew in a sharp breath, stilling as fingers brushed over my chin. "I'll be seeing you soon, _nótt elska._ "

My nose twitched. My hands clenched. I glared up at the man. "You vampires must not have a good sense of time if you think I'll be sniffing around here again."

He smirked, a thumb running roughly over my bottom lip. I snarled, my teeth snapping shut as I tried to give him a warning bite. Which only seemed to make him hungry, his eyes swirling darkly.

"The next time you come here I doubt there will be any…" He grinned, his fangs clicking down. " _Sniffing_."

 _Infuriating man_ , I seethed, watching as he whooshed away with puppy dog Bill right behind him. I wanted to punching him in the face but I was pretty sure that he would rip me to shreds if I even raised my hand.

"Don't get too sexually frustrated, doll," Pam drawled on her way past with a sobbing Ginger. "You might make me do something that would upset my master."

And with that I was left alone. In a bar filled with the smell of deceased vampire. I huffed, shoving a chair back and sitting heavily in it. I had a lot to digest. First was the fact that there was dead vamp on my converse. Second was the fact that Eric had said a lot of freaky fucking stuff. And he pronounced both my first and last name - well. I rubbed a hand over my eyes. It had sounded right. I had never heard my name pronounced like that before but it had sounded right. Which was infuriating and maddening and plain crazy and so fucking scary on so many levels.

 _Mara_. He had whispered that. _What did it mean?_ My brows knit together, my nails working at a small scratch in the granite table. The word pulled at something in the back of my mind the feeling similar to having a string stuck in a jagged nail. But there was no fucking way I was coming back to this asshole for answers. I would sooner dig my own grave and try to turn myself into a vampire so that I could become Bill Compton's fuck girl for the night.

I rolled the answers around my head, trying to pin down a way to spell out the word. So many different variations. _Maera. Maira. Mara. Ma_ -

"Runa." My eyes snapped up, my neck cracking as I looked up to find Sookie. Dressed in a leather corset and skirt. Her eyes welled up for a moment before she pushed it down and walked slowly over to me, her steps halting and slightly pigeon toed. No wonder. She was wearing fuck-me pumps.

"New kink I should know about?" I whispered, coughing as my voice came out raspy.

Sookie ignored me, coming to sit next to me, her eyes sliding to the mess. "What did he say? Eric Northman?"

My heart squeezed painfully. I forced a smile. "He said that I was fucking bangable and that he would like to ride me til his vampire instincts made him go dead again in the sunlight."

My sisters gagged, slapping my arm. "Runa, ew."

"I declined," I offered innocently, my nail scraping along the mark more insistently until a gentle screech filled the room. "But then he took your boyfriend to the back and I…"

I gulped, my eyes flicking to the back room as worry surged through me. I hated to say that Compton had burrowed a little hole inside me. He had tried to defend me. And it was so fucking easy to make fun of him.

"This isn't going to go away is it?" Sookie whispered and I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers curling through hers. I didn't say anything. She knew it wasn't going to just disappear. The puddle of snow-vamp gush at our feet was proof of that. The hunky blonde vampire in the room giving Compton a little "chat" was proof of that.

And the promise that leashed us to Eric Northman was proof of that.

But my sister didn't need to hear all that from me. She already knew.

"Sookie." Both of us snapped to attention at the deep voice. Bill was heading towards us. I winced. And he did not look happy. We could talk about it in the car.

Scrambling down from my perch, I made an Olympic race towards the door. I would have gotten gold.

"Let's blow this blood bank," I whispered, already opening the door and sliding in.

No comments. We made the trip home in relative silence.

"She's all drama and theatrics." Bill was making a big show of not letting on that he was in giant horse shit. I followed a few steps behind, my head ringing softly. I just wanted a fucking shower and a night's sleep. All the fears that I had drawn out from all those humans was getting to me.

We made our way up the steps, Bills hand in Sookie's as he opened the door and sent me a reassuring smile.

"I assure you everything's going to be fine."

Everything was far from fine.

* * *

_If anyone wants to make me feel like a happy, little cinnamon bun, please send a kudos or a comment my way. It would make my night!_

**_Old Norse:_ **

_Nótt Elska: Night Love_


	5. Cher (And Other Things That We Say)

Good sex and a shower. That was how I dealt with unnecessary emotions like grief.

I got a shower.

"Fuck," I murmured softly to myself, watching the dribbles of water splash from my skin and onto the wall. There was nothing sanitary about showering in Cooper Abellard's shower. He had beer bottles in the goddamn bathroom, spilling from the sink and tumbling from the wastebasket. "Fuck dammit."

Unwanted, images of Tina flashed through my mind. It shouldn't have mattered. It shouldn't have made my jaw tighten and the feeling of tears building up behind my eyes start. But dammit, it did. It was more than the fucking cat. It was that he had just walked into our house _again_. And when he had found Sookie and me out, he had gone for the only other living thing in our house.

He had killed our fucking cat.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my forehead to the browning tile of the shower walls. He had grabbed her, stupid Tina who thought that everyone was a friend. He had picked her up, cooed her to him and then he had pulled out a knife and sawed through her throat, yanking off her skull like it was a fucking bottle cap. I drew in a shaking breath, turning off the shower quickly and opening the curtains.

Something like a fucking cat dying shouldn't have made me bawl like a child. Not after my Gran's death. But getting into a beat-up yellow car, vamp blood, and Tina's mixing into my converse, I had shut down. I had screamed and cussed and sobbed into my wrists until I didn't have anything left. And then I had tucked it all inside me. And after a couple of shots, I went to Cooper Abellard's and had sex with him until he fell asleep, his chest shivering as he let out chainsaw-like snores.

"Up so early, baby?" _Oh Jesus_. By the way that he was staring at me, I had definitely given him the wrong impression. He was smiling at me like I was going to marry him after tonight. I hid a grimace, forcing on a strained smile as I took in the disheveled mess of sandy blonde hair and overgrown morning stubble. And then the rest of Cooper Abellard. He had an okay body - the ones that you kind of shrug at and move on. Unwanted, blonde hair and the body of a spartan flashed through my mind. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Mutely, I let him pull me closer to press a lingering kiss to my cheek, his fingers running down the slick curve of my spine and then to my hips. Against my stomach, I felt the tell-tale press of his open excitement at having a naked female in his bathroom. I let out a strained laugh, gently pressing him away from me.

"Early bird gets the worm, darling," I said, reaching for a towel to dry myself off and finding nothing on the racks. What was I expecting? The man didn't even have a goddamn matt on the floor in front of the shower.

"And what a worm it is," Cooper laughed and I held back a yelp as he slapped my ass. Desperately, I tried to hold in my self-control. I was the one who had given him the wrong impression. I was the one who had come to his door and then kissed him back into the hallway and into his bedroom.

Now he was standing here wanting to go another round. A round that would last about as long as it would take me to heat up a hot pocket and be about as entertaining.

Reaching up, I patted his cheek. "Listen, honey, I know you might be thinkin' an awful lot about what this might mean-"

"I think it's pretty obvious what it means," he growled and before I could speak, he was lunging forward, his tongue like a fish as he forced it into my mouth. Apparently he thought wiggling made _every_ activity better for the opposite sex.

I shoved his face away, spatting on reflex at the stale breath and beer on my tongue. When I looked back up, I was remiss to see that his cheeks had gone red. Skipping quickly through embarrassment, he went straight to angry.

"I'm sorry," I amended, pulling back until there was a bit of space between us. "I gave you the wrong impression-"

"You had sex with me," he stated blandly, his color rising.

"I know and it was-" I cut myself off. _Mistake_ was a very big word. And kind of insulting.

"Aw, fuck no, Runa" he hissed, running a hand through his hair. His eyes went dark as a blood vessel in his forehead pulsed a purple SOS signal. "I knew I shouldn't have fucked a _fucking_ Stackhouse."

I reeled back. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

His eyes met mine, mean and disgusted. "You're brothers a fucking serial maniac dipshit who killed a bunch of fang bangers and your sister - Well, she _is_ a fucking fang banger. Your whole fucking family's weird. I should have listened to Royce-"

I seethed, my eyes narrowing as anger took over. "I almost forgot what a little bitch you are. Does it feel nice having Royce's leash around your neck twenty-four seven or does it get itchy?"

Pain stung up my scalp as his fingers fist in my hair, dragging my head back as his whole body slammed me into the wall. Fuck. I bit back my resulting wince, glaring up at him. Instinctively, my fingers had dug into the arm holding my head back. I hadn't noticed it before but the other arm was wrapped in gauze.

"I wouldn't say things like that-" He looked like he was building up for a good one, his teeth baring.

I slammed my knee into his junk, forcing his uninjured arm up so that I could dig my teeth into it for good measure. Metallic blood popped along my tongue as he howled, his fingers instantly released their hold on my hair.

Spitting out the sickly red stuff onto the ground beside him, I dug my fingers into the root of his hair, forcing his eyes to mine as he stuttered out a couple of pathetic, halting sobs. I wanted us to be on the same page for this next one.

"You touch me again, Cooper and instead of my knee, I'll shove a pair of scissors into your dick."

His face paled. I shoved him away from me, stepping over his body and out into his small apartment. Fuck taking my time. I would rather go outside looking like a prostitute than spend another minute in this dump. Boiling, I stormed toward the door, yanking an oversized tank that had a bit too much side-boob to be considered a fashion statement and my discarded capris by the door.

I was out the door and in my car making my way down the sleepy roads of Bon Temp within second. Against my naked arms and shoulders, I felt the seats sizzling my skin into seared flesh. It was nothing to how pissed I was at this moment. I should have thrown his naked ass out into the streets and locked the door. I frowned. Then I would have had to wait around in his nasty apartment. On second thought, I should have just taken the room that Bill had offered me. That was where Sookie had gone.

But fuck I had just wanted to feel someone's flesh against my own. Maybe I had wanted to wash off the blood that I had practically bathed in last night.

Or maybe some even more fucked up part of me, the dark carnal one that enjoyed the overwhelming power that came with my gift of nightmares and fears, had wanted to satisfy some of the lust that had been shoved into me by Eric Northman.

"FUCK!" I shrieked, the word bouncing off the windows of my small car as I slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road, hitting the steering wheel in my frothing anger.

I panted, pressing my forehead to the overheated, worn leather of the wheel, blinking futilely against tears. There was nothing else to do. I cried like a baby. I cried like I did when I was little and I wanted to see my parents. Or even remember a simple detail about them other than their names. I cried like I had when I had seen Tara get hit by her Mama and then crumple like a beat dog in the dirt of our driveway. I cried for every fucked up thing that had happened in the past 25 years of my life.

I cried until I had to stop, snot and tears missing into a gooey mess on my face. Sniffing, I pulled Cooper's stinky, beer-stained tank up, soppy up the mess. And then I looked around, my eyes stinging as I finally took in the fact that my car was still sitting in the middle of the road but that no one had come by.

And that I had stopped just in front of the construction crews parked cars, all of the men oblivious to me as they took their lunch break. Or what should have been their lunch break. It had turned into a full-on brawl just outside of my window. I blinked. With my brother right in the middle of it.

"I COULD GIVE A _FUCK_ IF YOU SORRY!" Rene screamed in his thick cajun accent, his face going red as he gave Jason a good shove before Lafayette and Hoyt were pulling him away. I rubbed a hand over my eyes, trying to check my sight. Rene never got angry. It was one of the few unsettling things I found about him. "I'M ABOUT TO GET MARRIED! THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT COUNT ON! ME!"

What had just happened? Shoving away from Lafayette, Rene wandered off back to the car, still seething. I followed him with my eyes, watching as he pulled off his gloves. My nose twitched. My mind clicked. It felt like something was wrong. Rene's fingers were bandaged with little baby band-aides. Why did that feel wrong?

Back by the tree, a power tool absently left at its base, Hoyt was staring at Jason like he was worried. Hoyt was always worried though. When Dawn had died, he had been the only one to dream of helping her, his efforts futile but brave. He was a sweetheart. Gently, the bigger man placed a hand on my brother's shoulder.

"Aw _hell_ no," I hissed, getting out of the car quickly and slamming the door shut as I stormed across the street as Jason grabbed ahold of Hoyt's t-shirt, his face twisting in anger.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, JASON STACKHOUSE?!" I made my way up the steep incline, the muscles of my back tensing beneath my tank as my brother shoved away from Hoyt Fortenberry. My stupid fucking brother had just got done nearly killing Rene and now he was going after the biggest teddy bear in Bon Temp.

"I was just-" Jason started but I shoved him, watching as he stumbled a couple of steps back.

"You were just being the biggest dick to someone that wanted to be nice to you?" I hissed, watching as he lowered his head. Behind me, I felt Hoyt shift, his hand coming out to rest on my shoulder and draw my attention to him.

"It's really alright, Runa-" He actually looked sincere.

"The fuck it is," I snapped, turning back to my brother. "Say you're sorry."

Jason's jaw worked and I snarled out a breath, sending him a withering glare. "Sorry."

"Do I have to be your mother?" I questioned, shoving him again for good measure after Hoyt had nodded quickly and wandered over to where Rene and Lafayette were talking by the truck. "Huh? You want me to babysit you now, Jason?"

I hadn't forgotten how he had hit Sookie. Or blamed her for Gran's death. And then disappeared afterwards and come back into town without so much as a call. I hadn't even known that he was around until Tara told me. His big, puppy dog eyes stayed on the ground, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his side as he swallowed.

Dammit. When he had the expression on his face, I couldn't help but lose most of my steam. I sighed, reaching out to draw him into a hug. His taller body seemed to wilt around me, his head dropping to press against my hair and his shoulders slumping.

"You should have called," I whispered.

"You don't want to hear from me," he mumbled. "And I don't blame you. I was awful. Horrible. I didn't mean…"

Against the top of my head, I felt him shake his head. When Gran had died, he had taken it hard. I knew that. I knew that he felt guilty for being against her when it came to Bill and I knew that he felt weak. Jason may have been dumb as a duck but he was kind. And he cared.

I pulled away, giving him a hard look. "You gotta stop doing dumb shit, Jase."

A derisive snort burst from him and he shook his head ruefully. "Easy for you to say. You were always the smart one."

I smiled, turning him gently for the men who had turned to stare at us. Giving him a gentle shove, I nodded. "You go tell Rene sorry. You _did_ almost kill him."

"He was about to kill the tree," Jason defended, flicking a hand towards the roots like they were a living, breathing evidence board.

"Maybe you should consider not being a construction work than, honey," I drawled and he let out a grumble, shuffling down the side of the hill.

Down below, like a child, I saw him rub a hand over his neck, mumbling out a few words of apology. Dumb as a duck but sweet as a kitten. After a few moments, I went down as well.

"You all coming to Merlotte's tonight?" I inquired, earning me a sardonic stare from Lafayette.

"Baby girl, that place is my religion," he said with a bitter twist to his lips. "I eat it, sleep it, and breath it in until I come back smelling like hick ass and burnt fries."

Hoyt snickered, his eyes flicking to meet mine shyly. Lafayette's eyes flicked over me quickly, his smile going sly.

"But you look like you have your own religion there, baby," he said with a smirk. "Tell me who the man is and I'll make sure not to steal him from you."

"Cooper Abellard." The black man's smile instantly soured.

"I thought you had better taste than that, honey."

"Apparently all the Stackhouse's are running a record of being incredibly desirable in the sack but bad at choosing the straw to fill the bag with," I sighed, earning me an affronted look from Jason. Hoyt had gone oddly silent, his eyes downcast and his lips tugged down. I turned my attention to the last man. "What about you? Any plans?"

"Ya," Rene said with a nod, leaning back against the truck. "A' lene geds all _boudering_ if I don' come when she works."

"Women," Jason quipped and I rolled my eyes, sensing that it was time that I left.

"Yeah. Women." I walked around the men, heading straight for my car and then stalled out as Rene turned to me.

"You a goo' ki', _cher_." He gave me a small smile and then patted my cheek, letting me continue on my way.

I stayed where I was. Blood. My skin shivered as if it were a fur coat ruffling in the wind. I stared at the side of Rene's face.

He had been thinking about Dawn. Thinking about all of them. Not just them. One other one too. A girl that had the same eyes as him. I gulped, backing away. His nightmares were made of them, all still alive, moaning underneath withering men with fangs.

I got in the car.

There was nothing wrong with that. It was okay to have such nightmares but usually - usually the women were all dead. Or dying. That was a fear. That was a reason to go to sleep at night with a shiver and your throat tight. I shook my head, turning my keys in the ignition.

Why did it all seem so...itchy? Disgusting? Unsettling? Someone behind me honked and I jerked, forcing myself out of my own thoughts with a start. My eyes snapped to the time on my radio and I cussed. I had to be at Merlotte's in two hours for the evening shift. Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I headed home. Sookie had told me that she would be coming back early to clean up the house. I had thought that I would be able to help her but…

My lips thinned as I turned onto my road. And I still had to look up that _mara_? _Mare_? _Meara_? Whatever that big, hunk of a bloodsucking spartan had called me. My head spun.

Things seemed to be getting more twisted than my grandmother's nightgown.

* * *

_As always, if you're interested and want to see more than please show me by leave me a kudos. And if you can't leave me a little note. Those things always make me update quicker. ;) *wink wink nudge nudge*_

_**Boudering** : A Cajun word for pouting._

_**Cher** : The Cajun way to say cherie and a term of endearment._


	6. Plaisir D'Amour

"Do I look like a waitress, Sam?" The shaggy-haired man standing just outside my bar ran a hand over his face, his eyes tired. Taking the towel from my shoulder, I wiped down my counters where some beer had spilled over from the taps. Not only did I have to serve my regular drunks at my bar but I also had to give the waitresses their drinks. And tonight Merlotte's was packed to spilling over.

"You get half of the tips that my waitresses earn," he said sardonically and I gave him an indulgent smile as I grabbed my shaker and the whiskey from my wall.

"That's because everyone in fucking Lousiana drinks, honey." I gave Tim a sharp glance as he made an indignant snort, his flabby double chin going red as he puffed up like a rooster. He was one of the drunkest motherfuckers in Bon Temp. And that was saying something in a town full of drunks. I glanced back at Sam as I poured some ice, Scotch Whiskey, vermouth, cherry heering, and orange juice into my shaker and started in on the task. "And who makes the drinks here, Sam?"

"You do, Runa," he said tiredly, rubbing a hand over his face as Old Lady Margaret snorted, the sound going off into giggles as she swayed over her gin and tonic. I quirked my brow at him.

Snapping my gum, I took a tip where Dave had just been sitting, shoving it into my back pocket and poured the sandalwood liquid from my shaker and into a martini glass, taking a wedge of orange from the cutting board and onto the rim. My heels clicked dangerously as I stalked toward him, my feet already aching in these Timberland stiletto boot death traps as I took up the drink. Carefully, I set the drink down in front of him, leaning in to run a hand over Sam's heavily stubbled jaw.

I gave him a slow smile as the familiar scent of smoky citrus drifted from the glass. "Unless you want to pay me double…"

I had had a long day. My cat had died and her skull had been removed as some sick psychos trophy(although that excuse seemed to be getting old quickly.) Bad sex. No coffee. Shitty tips. By the way that Cooper and his little hoard of redneck homophobes were looking over here and snickering, the blonde was making a couple of quick jibes at my expense. If I took up the extra slack of serving my alcohol out to the crowded mayhem of Merlotte's than I would surely be going to their table. They couldn't go a meal without a beer. And if I had to do that I might as well make it worth my while.

"Dammit, Runa," Sam snarled, his blue eyes flashing angrily as he frowned at me, moving his head away from the touch as Sookie walked past. His eyes flashed as he stared at me with a frown. "Why can't you be more like your sister?"

It stung. He knew that it would. I let my hand drop, leaning away from him as his eyes suddenly went soft, his expression almost wilting in regret. Apparently, he had been dealing with some shit too.

"Aw, damn," he cussed softly, tugging at his hair again. "Runa, I didn't-"

"I'll wait the fucking tables, Sam Merlotte but after this is done you better pray that I don't come back here and kick your shaggy ass," I hissed, grabbing up a clean towel to throw over my shoulder and an apron from under the bar and tied to harshly over my ripped jeans, fumbling angrily with the belt around my waist.

"Take off your clothes, sexy lady and I'll give you a bigger tip!" Dave yelled from down the bar, wandering back from the bathrooms and I gritted my teeth, pushing out from behind the bar before I could do anything that would get Sam a lawsuit.

"You can get that double, Runa," Sam whispered, his eyes flicking to the ground as he moved out of my way as I stormed over to the area where the trays were kept. I glanced back at him.

"If I got the double now, I would feel like a bitch," I answered honestly, wishing for the millionth time that I had brought along my Merlotte's shirt instead of worn a black beaters tank and these fucking heels. But skimpy got me tips. Tara stalked past me into the bar right after Sam, her eyes flaming and her stride long as her fingers convulsed on an envelope in her hands.

I was half tempted to stick around and see what the deal was.

"What's your goddamn order?" I snarled out, flipping open my pad and staring down at Cooper and his Queen, Royce. I couldn't say that I particularly knew the other little pups name. Bon Temp was a small town but I wasn't particularly into the habit of hanging around with Royce's little boy band. The only reason I knew Cooper was because he had worked at Merlotte's as a waiter. Up until he got involved with Royce and decided that he was too good for the place.

"Woah, honey," the dirty blonde drawled out, leaning back in his chair like he was the fucking King of England. Cooper's eyes were razor-sharp and mean as they stared up at me, a nasty smile curling his lips. Across from him, the other one snickered. "I thought you were supposed to serve us. Customer service. Being nice."

So that was how we were going to play it. I gave them a thin smile, shifting my weight to a hip. This was going to take some time apparently. It was a good thing that they had picked a table so close to the main entrance, situated right in the middle of the bar and grill like a stage. The moment I had walked over here, I had drawn most of the attention. Now the masses had grown muted as their radars for gossip beeped, Arlene stopping to stare as she sat beside Rene. The new girl, a curly-haired brunette with her hair pushed away from her head with a scarf, gazed over at us with wide eyes.

"Well, ain't you a _peach_ ," I said acidically, flipping my notepad shut, I leaned onto the table, watching as Royce gave a hoot like he was getting a fucking strip show. I met his eyes, lowering my voice so that only him and his little crew could hear me. "Now you listen to me, Royce Williams and you listen real good. Either you give me your fucking order or I'm going to go into the back and pull it out of the trash. Now... What'll it be, _honey_?"

"You can't talk to me like that-" he snarled out, trying to rise but only stumbling back into his seat as I shoved him.

"I can talk to you backwater hicks any fucking way I want to. This is my goddamn job and Sam Merlotte and the rest of this fucking town know what little dicks you and your puppy's are. Who do you think is gonna get kicked out of here tonight? Runa Stackhouse or Royce Williams?" I gave him a patient stare, my hand still pressing into his shoulder. Both of the other two had gone oddly quiet. It was Royce who wore the balls in their relationship and it was Royce who spoke for everyone. I rarely heard Cooper speak two words when he was around the other man.

"The customer's always right," Royce said weakly, his teeth baring back in a snarl as he threw out his last attempt at fighting back. I gave him a smile, leaning back to flip open my notepad and click my pen.

"Why, you're quite right, Royce," I said, letting my smile drop. "And I choose who's my fucking customer. Now, you gonna play nice or do I have to go get my sister's vamp so that he can suck the living life right out of your hick skin?"

The way that they reacted to that last part unsettled me. Royce gave a low snicker along with the one I didn't know and Cooper glanced down at his bandaged arm, fiddling with the gauze-like a child caught with his hand in the molasses jar. My eyes narrowing, a tingling starting in the back of my mind. I wanted to look through their dreams - my fingers and mind itched for it. Against the back of my mind, I felt the familiar press of Sookie but I pushed her away roughly, concentrating on the task in front of me.

"Yeah. You go and do that, honey," Royce snorted. "Tell him that I'll bring my fucking lighter fluid."

"I got the matches," the one that I didn't know howled.

My jaw set. I didn't fucking like Bill Compton. I was big enough to admit that. But there was an odd protectiveness that came with Royce saying that. It probably came from the knowledge that Sookie was infatuated with the vamp and that there was no way that I would let her be hurt like she had been when we had found those coffins.

"What's your order, Royce?" I forced out and he ran a cool eye over me. "And if you fucking say my name, I swear to god, I will make sure that everyone in Bon Temp sees how much of a little bitch you are. Right here. Right now."

"Not like everyone hasn't already gotten a piece of the great Runa Stackhouse," I heard Cooper mumble out and I resisted the urge to flinch.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Royce said, his hand reaching out lazily to stroke along my thigh.

I slammed the heel of my Timberlands into his toe, sending him slamming forward into the table on reflex as he cussed. Lunging forward, I grabbed a good chunk of his greasy hair and jerked it back, his adam's apple bobbing as I sneered down at him. Royce's eyes flicked to my teeth. I wasn't sure if Cooper had let out the fact that I had bit a good chunk of his skin off or not but there was no way that he could hide that, the skin still raw and bleeding a bit, exposed as though Cooper hadn't even thought to put anything on it.

"What's your fucking order?" I hissed out slowly, forcing a little bit of the fucked up reality into his mind. Afraid of being gay. Afraid of liking men because he had too much ignorance and stupidity forced into him by his daddy. My fingers tightened even more in his hair as I saw his eyes dilate, sweat rolling down his neck. Still afraid of his daddy and wanting to force some of that back out onto the world. I turned it all in, staring down at his quivering lips as I saw Cooper lean away, shuddering.

"Fried - fried ste - steak," he whispered out and I gave him an indulgent smile, leaning away from him. I glanced to the other two, quickly scribbling down the order.

"Runa, I can take this table." It was the new girl, she was approaching me like I assumed a zoo trainer would approach a pack of wolves. She gave the table a tight smile and a nod like she was some fucking savior that had wandered across them in the wilderness.

"Well, that's real nice of you…" I searched for her name, trying to filter through my memory before giving up. "But I think we're all having such a nice evenin', it'd be a shame to split us up. Aint we, boys?"

I flicked my eyes back to the table. With Royce thoroughly disarmed, the remaining two were left to nod meekly, their eyes flicking to their pale leader. I gave her my best smile, staring at her until she eventually had to wander away. Expectantly, I turned back to the table.

"Ribs with potato salad," the one I didn't know mumbled. At my quirked brow, he gulped, looking back at the menu. "Corona."

"Fried chicken with corn and kale. Coors," Cooper said, his eyes flicking worriedly to Royce.

"I'll be right back with your order," I said sweetly.

And with that, I stalked to the back window.

"You one nasty hooker," Lafayette mused as I handed over the ticket, giving him a sardonic smirk. He gave me a _tsk_ and went to his grill, flipping a couple burgers. "Who taught you to be that down and…"

My brows furrowed. Lafayette had gone two shades lighter, his words stumbling off into mute silence and his whole body stilling as his eyes wandered over my shoulder. Very few things could shut him up. Shut the whole bar up for that matter. I turned, my breath freezing in my lunges as I saw a familiar figure wander lazily through the doors of Merlotte's, a smirking blonde and a chubby Asian man just behind him. Eric's eyes flicked over the place, clearly unimpressed.

Standing just by the bar with Sookie, Bill looked like he was about to go to his own funeral, his eyes downcast and his smile sad as he talked with my sister.

My mind flashed uneasily back to the last meeting that I had had with all three of these vamps and my sister. That had ended with a dead Native American on the ground like a spilled slushie. Haltingly, I made my way along the wall, stalling out just at the bar.

"Try and behave yourself," Bill whispered to the taller blonde as he headed to the back where Sam's office was. I crept closer to my sister, placing a hand on her back as I watched her brows crease in worry. Three vamps in our bar and they looked like they were scanning it for repossession.

 _Do you know what's going on?_ Sookie's voice seeped into my mind like diluted liquor. I had an odd feeling that Eric knew exactly where I was even though his back was turned to me, his head tipping to the side like he was listening in on every single breath that I took. Across the room, Pam gave me a toothy smile and a wink.

 _All I know is that we are so fucked,_ I forced back at her. Every human in this place had stilled, all of them like rabbits sensing a much larger, much more lethal animal.

"Aren't I always?" I heard Eric murmur. The Asian man walked past me, following Bill to the back. A monitor wasn't something that a secure man with his freedom usually had.

 _That can't be good,_ Sookie thought, her eyes following the men as she started to gnaw reflexively at her nails.

 _Maybe he's like a security guard,_ I thought back. _Protection. That would be good. Everyone needs an extra safety blanket._

She gave me a sardonic glance. _He's a vampire not Madonna, Runa._

"Humans!" I jumped at the sudden, booming voice, glancing up to see that Eric was taking in the bar with a slow, sarcastic kind of consideration. His eyes met mine for the briefest of moments, his lips quirking up before he was continuing his inspection. "Those who present this card at the door when you get to Fangtasia - first round's on me."

Booze. I smirked. He was completely leaving out the fact that it was a vamp bar made for fang bangers and the like. The marketing was probably pressed towards the people who were either too dumb to car or too out of the loop to know. Cuz everyone knew that free alcohol would get Bon Temp anywhere.

"Also," Pam chimed in, handing out a stack of cards like she was giving out free cupcake coupons at a marketing event. "Thursday nights are ladies nights so be sure to bring a date."

Her mouth flicked down as she came to Royce's table, the man in question taking a card meekly. The one who I didn't know was looking at her legs like it was an all you can eat buffet.

Smiling thinly, she handed it over. "If you can get one."

My eyes rolled to Cooper as he gave a snort and Pam moved his way to give him a card.

"She got you," he smirked, leaning back to take the card.

"Not him," Eric suddenly snapped, his attention diverted from the table that he was at. I stilled, my stomach knotting up. Beside me, I felt Sookie's eyes boring into the side of my skull, her mind pushing against mine until I forcefully shoved her out. Briefly, Eric's eyes met mine, his nose flaring like he was scenting the air and then slowly flicking back to Cooper. My heart wiggled it's way into my throat, my palms going sweaty. "He doesn't get one."

"What gives, bro?" I physically flinched, reeling back at Cooper's complete lack of situational awareness. Maybe with Bill, this comment would have been handled with the familiar southern civilness that scented Louisiana like a bouquet of flowers. But in my short time knowing Eric, I got the sense that he wasn't Southern. And that he was far older than the terms of civility. Eric Northman was born and bred of something a lot hardier and deadlier. Blood and metal.

Eric was on him in a second, one hand grasping the back of Cooper's chair until I saw it splinter a bit and the other leaning on the table until all I could see were a few wisps of Cooper's hair peeking around the broad shoulders. Pam's lips tipped up a bit, her eyes flicking to watch me.

"Whatcha do to your arm there?" he rumbled and I couldn't help the resulting shiver that rolled through me. Slowly, he leaned even closer, his eyes closing for a minute as he breathed in and then moved to the gauzed part on Cooper's other arm. Arctic pools met mine. I gulped, heat rolling up my neck, my hands clenching. He knew every little dirty secret I had. Lazily, he turned back to Cooper. " _Bro_?"

"N-nothin'," Cooper whispered out, the words quivering.

"Hm?" Eric rumbled darkly, the muscles in his back tensing. I stiffened even more, my arms curling around my waist as Cooper's eyes caught mine. Cautiously, he moved both of his arms out of view, under the table.

Fear rushed through his veins like a stampede of horses across the plains. If he wasn't afraid of vamps before, he surely was now.

Two dark figures came around the corner, Bill's face set in grave lines, his lips thinned as his eyes zeroed in on Sookie who straightened beside me.

"I take it your business here is done." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Bill's new shadow definitely wasn't a new bodyguard.

"I came here to talk to Sookie," he snarled and I stiffened as Eric straightened, the two men turning to face each other. The hairs on my neck stood on end. If this turned into a brawl, I was pretty sure that Bill would lose. And there would be nothing that my sister or I could do.

Eric considered, his eyes wandering lazily to me before he nodded. "I'll give you three minutes. I have a tribunal to get to."

" _What_?" Sookie hissed as Bill made his way towards us, his expression somehow darkening even more from the thundercloud of graveness that it had been before. It was all and all storming inside the man's mind at the moment.

"Come with me," he whispered, his eyes flicking to me briefly as he gave me a curt nod and took my sister by the shoulder to lead her into the parking lot. I stared after them, my heart twisting painfully in my chest.

There were two options in front of me: Stay in the safety of the bar and leave my sister to her lovers and their current situation or weather the storm with her like a personal bodyguard.

In the end, I didn't get to make the decision.

"It seems like you've been keeping bad company while I was away, _nótt elska_." I gulped back a shudder at the deep voice, turning to stare up at the imposing figure looming all around me, his eyes like bullets piercing my flesh. He gave me a slow smile, his hand coming out to rest in the curve of my back. "Come on. You are needed as well."

What was there to say? What was I supposed to do? Throw a tantrum and kick and scream in the middle of Merlotte's? I set my jaw, giving him a withering glare as I ripped off my apron and pushed past him to make my way to the door. _Egotistical vampire-douche_.

"My, my," I heard Pam murmur appreciatively. "You always did like them feisty."

A deep rumbling chuckle. "Like you're one to talk." And then suddenly his voice was booming around the bar again as my hand pressed to the door, just about to open it. "Oh, before I go, a word of advice… We know when a human has wrong us. We can smell it."

 _I_ could smell it. The stench was almost suffocating, fear and more fear piling on top of each other like creatures clawing at each other to reach the top of a mountain of dead bodies. I gagged, pressing a hand to my mouth as the stench overwhelmed me, my teeth aching like I had eaten too much candy.

"So do not make the mistake of letting the pretty blonde vampire on the television make you feel too comfortable." Eric's cool presence pressed into my back, a hand coming to the crook of my spine again as he looked around slowly. "We may not have retaliated. Yet. But we know who you are. Have a nice night."

It was like giving someone a lollipop after beating the shit out of them. There was nothing but mocking consideration in that last line, his nod less than sincere as he gently pushed me to open the door. I did so with more than a little relief, my insides twisting around the needs and terror of the people still sitting in the bar and grill like sardines in a can. They were fermenting in their own nightmares.

"Well, that was fun," Pam drawled as we made our way into the parking lot. Sookie and Bill standing in the middle like two lovers, one about to ship off to war. Pam took my other side, her smile indulgently indifferent. "We should make more nights like this in the future."

"I didn't take you for the social type," I whispered as I picked up on bits and pieces of the conversation between Bill and Sookie.

"Oh, honey," she said, flashing me a smirk. "Social is my _business_ of choice."

That was an oddly eerie way to put it.

"You smell like a human," Eric suddenly rumbled and I glanced up, to see his nose wrinkled up as he leaned closer. Did he have to practice speaking in that mind-meltingly intoxicating way or did it just come naturally to him?

Looking away, I tried to wiggle my way from his grasp and only succeeded in having him pull me flush with his body, two big hands wrapping around my hips as he buried his face in my hair. He was breathing me in like I was a fucking cigarette.

"I _am_ human," I snarled out, my hands trapped against his chest. Which felt like stone coated in fucking metal.

"Close but not," he corrected, his lips mumbling the words into my ear and sending a jolt of awareness through me. " _Ykkarr mara_."

My head buzzed. My skin burned. My stomach clenched as a deep ache started inside me. He was speaking in that old, foreign tongue. One that I didn't understand but that made my headache with familiarity. Like a place that I had grown to love long ago and had to leave. I took in a breath, gasping as the scent of salt on frigid air stung my nose along with the sweeter, hardier scent of fir trees. Why was it like this with him? Why did it feel like I didn't know myself?

"Why do you keep doing this?" I lashed out, my nails digging into the skin just beneath his black shirt. He didn't pull away from me, a low sound of interest roll through him as his nose made a cool line from my hair to my ear. He took a deep breath. I gritted my teeth. "I'm not your property. You cannot - will not haul me in and out my workplace like I'm your fucking furniture. Do you hear me, Mr. Northman?"

Beside me, Pam snorted but kept her mouth shut. Against me, I felt a - was he purring? His chest was vibrating against mine, a slow kind of rumble rolling through him like a volcano before it erupted. His hands tightened on my hips, forcing a yelp from me and then stillness as I felt his lips reach my throat.

"Actually," he drawled and I gasped as I felt something chill move along my pulse. Was he - He was fucking licking me! Anger rolled over me. "According to the agreement that your blood made on your behalf, you are my property. For an indefinite amount of time."

"LET GO OF ME!" I shrieked, flailing wildly as I felt him lap along my jaw, one of his hands keeping me pinned against this front while the other tangled in my hair to keep my neck in his range. My vision popped, my hearing going dull as rage - simple and pure - took over. "YOU VAMPIRE DICK DOUCHE! You didn't even turn that vampire in. You can't hold us to that-!"

"Ah, but I can," he whispered, pausing to answer me. "You're sister's chosen one killed Longshadow. Not myself. Not Pam. You will be held to the same agreement that was made before your mistakes."

"I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD-"

He was too strong. Damn him. And I couldn't think of anything else to yell at him. What was I going to threaten him with? He had no trouble keeping me contained. If he wanted to, he had shown that he could take my heart out at any moment that he wanted to. I slammed my foot down, hoping to get at least a grunt if nothing else as I dug my heel into his foot. Not so much as a peep. He didn't even stop as he dragged his tongue along the side of my face, the hand on the small of my back making a slow, coaxing circle. Damn him. Damn his stupid undead ass to hell and back.

"This is more fun than my last _bar mitzvah_ ," Pam drawled out and I pressed my lips together, making sure that every fucking bone and tendon in my body was plank board straight as the man continued on with his purring and licking like he had a fucking ice cream cone. Indignation was my main instinct. Indignation and anger. Like I was some pissed off old lady who hadn't gotten the right coffee cake from her servants.

Finally, he pulled away, staring down at me with a critical expression as he turned my head this way and that, sniffing. "That's a bit better."

"Finally done, you oversized heathen?" I seethed, glaring up at him.

"I haven't been called that in a very long time," he mused, smirking as he released me and I hurried to wipe off his saliva from my face. "Good. You should probably try to rub that into your wrists."

" _What_?" I hissed, turning to stare up at him.

"You're going to a tribunal, Runa. Not a tea party," he drawled, giving me a pondering glance. His nose wrinkled. "And smelling like bad habits and human isn't a good introduction."

"Well, excuse me," I hissed. I thought I smelled fucking amazing. After washing off the stench of Coopers - Oh. My mind clicked. _We can smell it._ If Cooper had done something wrong and I had slept with him, plus sunk my teeth - I cussed, grimacing as I rubbed my arms over my face and neck. Ew. Ew. Ew. Couldn't they just take me home?

"Tick tock, Bill." So that would be a no on the shower thing. Taking down my hair and combing through the series of braids, I sent a silent question up to my Gran on what I had done to piss God off and then rubbed my hands over my cheeks and began to comb it through my hair.

"At least this one isn't stupid," Pam said.

"Am I good?" I inquired blandly, trying not to think about the fact that I had just rubbed Eric's saliva into my skin like it was fucking lotion.

Blue eyes met mine with a bit of humor as he slowly leaned down and breathed in. His eyes dilated, his fangs clicking out as he met my gaze again. "Better. Now it smells like you just fucked me instead of that nasty little rodent inside your bar."

Then he just leaned away like it was the more normal thing to say, leaving me staring up at him like a sexually aroused bartender who had just met the sexiest man alive. Or dead.

"And time!" Eric called and I finally took in the fact that Sookie looked like she wasn't coming.

"Wait," I breathed, confusion clouding my vision. "You said you needed my - My sister, she's the mind reader-"

"Whoopty fucking doo," Pam drawled, leaning to one hip as she stared at the couple in the middle of the parking lot.

"Tonight we need a _mara_ , not…" His head tipped to the side. "Whatever your sister is."

I really needed to find out what this mara thing he kept talking about was. Angry tears collected in my eyes as I watched Bill and Sookie kiss. This was bad. I was going to a tribunal - whatever that meant. And if Bill looked like this - I tried to swallow around my sudden fear, irrational tears brought on by irrational, unwarranted circumstances and promises bringing it all crashing down on me. There was a _legitimate_ chance that I wouldn't come back from this. And that made me _legitimately_ scared out of my mind.

"If I had any feelings," Pam said. "I'd have the chills about now."

"Not me," Eric drawled, indifferently, his eyes flicking to me. Slowly, curiously a hand came out to run through my hair, giving one of my braids a gentle tug. "You will be under my protection at the tribunal. You have nothing to fear."

But I was. I was so scared that when I caught sight of Tara coming out of the bar, I wanted to run into her arms and weep like a babe. I didn't say anything, looking away.

"Bill," Eric barked in a warning so harsh that even I jumped. Tara's eyes met mine from her place near Merlotte's front door. She wouldn't come any closer. But in that one gaze, I knew exactly what she was thinking. _What the fuck have you Stackhouse's gotten yourselves into?_ "Now."

Bill and Sookie pulled apart and I finally noticed the tears tracking her face and the anguish on his as he walked away. Her eyes followed him for a moment before suddenly clearing as they settled on me.

"Runa-" she started but I shook my head, pushing my mind open to embrace her as I opened up a live projection.

_"I'll make you a deal. If you promise to hand over the person who did this to the police, I'll agree to help you anytime you want."_

Her words thrown back at her like a slap that I never intended. Her face went paler than paint, her eyes widening as more futile tears spilled out.

"Runa, no-" I shook my head again, following Eric's direction on the base of my spine haltingly. She had used up all her time. I didn't have any way other than that memory to explain to her. My sister's eyes turned to Eric as Bill reached us, his expression contrite and pained as he met my gaze. "You can't-"

"I'll be back," I promised but my voice was shaking. I winced as I felt Eric's eyes on me. I refused to cry. I _refused_ to cry. My jaw tensed. "Don't you dare be stupid, Sookie. Don't you dare end up like Dawn and Maudette. I swear to God if I come back and you've gotten yourself killed-"

I stopped, close to breaking, my lips quivering as I looked at Sookie's stupid, doe eyes. She knew how to take care of herself. But so did Dawn. So did Maudette. They were skanks through and through but they knew how to survive in Bon Temp being open fang bangers and proud of it. My nails dug into my palms and I quickly turned away, stalking towards Tara as I felt Eric and Bill and Pam, and the other one following after me. I wasn't going to be the sulking human, stumbling along behind them. If I was going to this vampire only _fiesta_ , I was going to damn well own it.

"Take care of her," I whispered, squeezing her arm as her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form coherent words. But my clock was at zero. I walked away.

"Sookie is under my claim," Bill murmured when we were far enough away from the others. His eyes flicked up to meet Eric's. I lowered mine to take in the gravel. "I will take her."

There was a long pause. "Very well."

Fingers tugged at my hair, a final reminder before there was nothing but air where they had been. Bill's sad eyes met mine and for a moment, I just stared up at him. There was something about him that made me like him in an odd way. Maybe it was the fact that he was empathetic. He felt sorry for me and at this moment, we were in the same boat.

"Shall we?" he whispered, gesturing to his car which was only a bit away. Mutely, I nodded. What else were we going to do?


	7. I Don't Wanna Know

I was a weird kid. I'd long since gotten to the age where it wasn't painful to admit that. In all honesty, growing up with Sookie eased some of that burden though. Not only did we cling to each other in a fragile kind of understanding but in other ways (more selfish ways) I was different from her. My abilities came when most were unaware. I captured dreams and she captured thoughts. Unlike her, I didn't parrot back everything anybody in my radius was feeling. I was silent. And like some children who grew up quiet, I learned to build up walls way before any of my classmates or siblings ever knew how to.

And not just in the "normal" sense.

"Stop it," I hissed at Sookie, grabbing her hand under the long tables of the school elementary painting room and squeezing. She was doing it again, trying to worm into my head. Every time, I felt it like someone was pulling on my hair. And back then, I couldn't kick her out. She could pluck out everything I was thinking like she was getting dandelions to wish on in our backyard.

My sister winced, her pigtails bobbing slightly as she tried not to cry out at how hard I was squeezing her hand. Back when we were little, I had wanted to hurt her. When we were in high school I realized that these instincts weren't normal. I realized that pain wasn't the only way to get someone to listen. It was odd how much it seemed to be my only option back. Hurt someone and they would stop.

"I can't help it," Sookie whispered back, tears gathering against her pale, snow white lashes. Disgruntled, I released her fingers, turning back to the paintings spread across our table. We were the weird siblings. Jason could away with it but Sookie and I were on our own. "They think what you're drawing is weird, Runa. You should stop."

My eyes flicked around to take in the hurried way that all the kids sitting at the tables around us turned back to their coloring pads and crayons. Our teachers brows were knit together as she stared across the room at us. I was sure that they were a striking pair: one with hair nearly as black as molten lava and skin tanned from years in the sun, the other with snowy strands and alabaster complexion to match. A white tiger next to a black panther.

"They always stare," I murmured back, turning my eyes back down to the paper beneath my chubby fingers.

Sookie gnawed at her lower lip, her lashes fluttering as she glanced around the room quickly and then down at the jagged lines on my paper. A girl sat in front of a large oak, it's roots crawling to scar the ground around her as the tall grass waved in the breeze. I shut my eyes, remembering the chill air and the scent of wild berries in the air, crushed and tart. Little red seeds like mistletoe berries clustered in the gnarled branches of the tree. It was so big, I remembered, my tongue going dry as the fresh, earthy taste of pine burst across it. I could have crawled in between those roots right under the very trunk of the tree. I had wanted to.

I shook myself, picking up another pencil and scribbling down a series of twitchy lines.

I was a weird kid. Not the normal kind of weird where I fed collared greens to the cat until she threw up. I had dreams. Not the ordinary ones that were barely lucid and out of my control. I could control myself. In the dreams, I had a will and sometimes I did do things. I ran in the long grasses all the way to the forest's edge, the trees circling around that one, strange tree, making all the others look like saplings in comparison. And sometimes I just sat there, the cool winds from the mountains in the distance rolling over me and sweeping my hair across my face.

It was my tree. I possessed it and it possessed me in the same, unsettlingly certain way.

Sometimes there would be others. They all looked the same. Or more correctly, they all had the _same_ _look_ in their cold, pale eyes. Women - _maidens_ , that was the only word for them. Maidens with long, tangled hair and eyes as chill as mine, the edges so cold that they seemed milky. They would come into my meadow and smile, their long hair sweeping across tawny, slick skin, their waists small, their bodies lean from their narrowed noses to their lithe toes. They were beautiful, their breasts high and their lips full with lashes dense and fluttering like a grove of butterflies ready to fly on the next summer breeze.

So perfect that they should have been disconcerting. But their was something oddly familiar about them. So familiar that it gave me a headache. Slowly, their lips would curl back, their hands tightening on the long strands of their horse's manes. But it was hard to tell. Thier hair was always so long, the thick coils sliding across their naked breasts and arms until the horse's mane and the maiden's' hair tangled between their clenched fingers.

"Little girl," they would whisper, coming nearer and nearer but never seeming to be in any rush. Their voices were soft, lilting in the air with a slickness that colored the words of liars. Temptresses. I stared at them carefully, never moving from my position at the base of my tree. Never trust a girl with a pretty smile and oil words, I remembered my Gran saying.

"Little girl, you've wandered far away from where you should be."

Words choked in my throat and I moved closer to the roots until they scratched along my side, tearing at my thin dress. Avid, I stared at their approach. These horses weren't like the ones that I had seen on ranches and farms in Louisiana. They were wild, nearly frothing at the mouth as they shook their heads in agitation, stopping to paw at the ground until they had dug holes in my grassy meadow. The maidens smiled. It was always the same. No matter the woman, it never changed.

"What are you?" she would whisper, her eyes gleaming in the night. "Mare or man?"

"Girl," I choked out, shrinking farther from her as she threw her head back and gave a hearty laugh, her tangle of hair shivering like stars were falling from them, glittering in the night light.

" _Girl_. How cunning. Many names," she whispered, turning her gaze to the stars. In the moonlight,her teeth glinted dangerously. Sharp teeth like that of a sharks. Her eyes flicked to me briefly, her chin still tipped towards the sky. "But tell me, little girl do any of these titles ever feel right?"

I gulped down the clump of fear that gathered in my throat. Something in her words hit me, striking me to my very being.

" _Men_." The word was spat like a curse. "They give so many words to so many things that don't need them."

I blinked up at her, the light from the moon shivering along her skin.

"Man or mare, flower or tree, death or lust - they give names that they forget. Despise us, forget the gifts that we have given and repay us with curses." Her smile turned sickeningly sweet. "Yet they still let us into their beds. Fickle and foolish creatures. But their fears are _absolutely delicious_! Isn't that right, lovely, little Runa?"

A shock ran through me. She knew my name. They all knew my name. "Who are you? Why've you come to my tree?"

" _Possessive_ ," they would always sing, raising their brows at me. They seemed to almost hiss out their s', reminding me of a snake coiling. "We do not understand such curiosity. What a generous world you must live in to be able to question this and that at your will." Their eyes went considering. "We have no name. Do we need one? Why should we give ourselves airs when there is nothing more to us than our instincts - what we _want_ and what we _get_? We are not the Fae. We do not need crowns or courts. We are not the Elves or the Witches who must seek companionship. Why would we want such useless things?"

Her eyes turned to meet mine, her lips thinning as her horse gave a wild whiny, rearing back as it's eyes rolled madly. Something clicked in the milky depths of their eyes.

"But you are not of the old world." Her lips thinned even more and through the taut skin of her mouth, I could see the jagged indentations of her teeth. "The first to accept us into their beds named us _maras_." Her teeth flashed in an ugly smile. "We killed three of their kings."

I shivered, swaying in the wind like a blade of grass. The mare circled me.

"Vikings," she hissed out, her long neck arching toward me. "We concurred them before they built their first boats and burned cities beneath their blades and torches. We were their goddesses. They worshiped our savagery. They prayed to our darkness and bathed in our promises. We gave them madness and kissed their enemies with nightmares."

She gave a derisive smile. "But everything must come to an end. We learned from them. We went with them, fought beside them. And sometimes we stayed. Most did not. We took their wooden horses and rode them across the seas to Asia and America where they gave us a deluge of ridiculous names - useless and ignorant. But one thing remained the same."

Her eyes stared through me, piercing me to my very bones.

"Your sisters only demand one thing in return for all that has been given to you through the blood of your mother and her sisters before her: never submit to the follies of men and other creatures." Her words snapped like wind across the sea, slicing through water and shaking the waves to rise. The mare calmed, both of them turning to stare at my shivering, small figure. "Tame a mare and you break it. Then and only then will we meet again, little girl."

The last night that I dreamt of them the whole of Bon Temp was seized in the thralls of feverish dreams. Seven people died from heart attacks.

* * *

"YOU THINK I'M A FUCKING GOBLIN?!" I would have thrown the phone which was still lit with the Wikipedia page that had popped up at Eric's head if it would not have meant that I would have needed to go and buy a new one. Slamming Bill's door shut, I stabbed a finger into the big vampire's chest, ignoring the raised brows and whistle from Pam. On the screen, it showed a little picture of a troll sitting on a girl's chest who looked like she was about to rip her see-through nightie off and dowse the creature in fire.

"It is a car not a rickshaw, for god's sake," I heard Bill grit out but I waved him off, snarling up at the man in front of me.

The blonde vampire took it in strides, his eyes shuttered in practiced consideration. Slowly, he plucked the phone from my fingers and scrolled over the page that I had pulled up. Sighing, his brows furrowed and raised in unimpressed disgust before he was handing it back to me.

"My people only had one word for you," Eric said, his voice low and gravely as he stared down at me with those blue, blue eyes. I was getting sucked into them. My fingers dug into the phone until a prickle of pain buzzed along my spine. " _Mara_. But I suppose others possessed your kind as well. Demon, goblin, temptress, _cauchemar_ , _merrie, zmora,_ incubus." His teeth flashed as my face went red at the last one, his eyes darkening as he leaned closer to me. "But we were the first."

My whole body shook down to my very bones. The first. My eyes went watery as I stared up at him, those two words roaring through my veins. I felt like a cello being tuned, the strings of my tendons vibrating through as the sickening smell of crushed berries and mountain air stung my nose. My back hit the car door, my fingers clutching desperately at the door for something to hold onto as my whole world shook. The dreams that I had kept locked up inside me suddenly being wrenched from the depths of my mind so violently that I felt like throwing up.

"Viking." The word torn from what felt like the depth of my heart, suddenly grabbing onto every detail of Eric's face. Sharp, narrow nose, cruel smile, broad shoulders, blonde, blue eyed like the arctic seas - not a spartan. Not even close to those land-limited, lawless bastards. A low hiss tore from me, my teeth flashing in a sneer as I crouched, my vision narrowing in. " _Viking_."

Something deep and dark was running through me, a carnal kind of hatred tearing my muscles into ribbons. Pam's teeth clicked down, her eyes going deadly. My fingers tingled.

"Back off, little girl," the blonde hissed, her blue eyes flashing as I saw Chow move to stand to her right. It wasn't like he would be especially willing to fight me but he was inclined to fight for his new bank account.

I couldn't control myself. Savage violence choking me. My fingers felt like I had stuck them in a live circuit breaker. I glanced down, shivering at the purple threads that spiked along my hands like pulsing veins, a sick kind of darkness that was inky and runny swirling through it.

"Runa," Bill was beside me, his eyes flashing in warning although he wasn't coming any closer than a good five feet. I knew that I should stop. _I needed to -_ "Control yourself."

Another low hiss slithered from my lips, forcing itself into the air like a coil of snakes as I turned back to Eric. He was the problem. He was what I needed to neutralize. Amusement, curled the vampire's lips, his shoulders rolling. He wasn't scared. My lips curled from my teeth even more, the blackness around my fingers pulsing.

" _You have no right to call upon our services_." The words weren't mine, the voice low and lilting. Beside him, Pam and Chow stiffened, their eyes going a bit unfocused. Bill drew in a sharp breath. Eric didn't even move, his lips curling even more as his fangs clicked into place. Anger clouded my vision. " _Vampire. Viking! Who do you think you are? Before the first man walked, we were the shadows in their dreams. We were the sisters who seduced their wishes into needs. Now you come before us-_ "

"You're boring me," he said, glancing around in disinterest. His eyes caught on Pam for a moment and I saw the first sliver of irritation flick through him. "But you do have an unsettling effect on my companions. I would advise you to stop. _Now_."

" _YOU DARE-?!_ "

I was up against the car hood in a second, my skull banging across the steel as I hand curled around my throat, keeping me pinned there. A thick, hard body was pressed to every inch of mine, Eric's hips wedged between my thighs as he loomed over me. Desperately, I grappled with him, my fingers curling uselessly in the material of his shirt. Shock ran through me as the pulsing subsided into stillness and then dimmed. Fear. I blinked, swallowing convulsively. He should have been lost in delirium by now.

"Yes. I dare," he snarled like a rabid dog and I gritted my teeth as his lips curled away from his teeth, the light of the moon flashing off of the deadly tips of his fangs. The blue of his eyes rolled, stormy and dangerous. Awareness shivered through me at the hard roll of his muscles on mine, slicing through the anger.

" _You have no rights-_ "

"I have _all_ of them," he hissed and suddenly his eyes were wandering to the curve of my lips, his face dropping so close that I thought he might kiss me. My heart shook in my chest, a low ache starting inside of me. Shakily, I drew in a quick breath as I felt one of his hands slide along my shin. I shivered, my head fuzzing as he kept going up, up, up my leg until his hands were cupping the crook of my knee. "Your sisterhood has forgotten or tried to _rewrite_ the way of things. Vampires were raised first and your people - well, they were not even in the game. Cattle and slaves for _my_ people."

"No." My voice was back, the word guttural as Eric smirked, his eyes lighting up. Softly, his hand moved to my jaw, his thumb turning me so that I could only look at him. A shiver ran through me as I felt his hips grind even more into mine, a considerable bulge pressing through his jeans to my aching folds. Shit. I didn't even know that I was aroused.

"Either way it is irrelevant," he whispered, his breath blowing warm and wet on my ear as his fingers traced my inner thigh, playing along the frayed edges of my shorts and very close to some very compromising, very wet areas. I gulped, watching as his smile widened and he took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. "I'll tell you what you're going to do for me tonight, pet. You're going to be a good girl and you're going to-"

"Beat the shit out of your undead ass when I get the chance, you-" I snarled out, trying desperately to wiggle free from him but only receiving more of his weight as he leveled into me.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through him to me.

"Good to see you back." His head tipped to the side and I tried not to whimper when I felt his nose nudge into mine, his fingers squeezing my thigh in warning. "There are two very important people in that Tribunal and you, my pet are going to get their fears for me."

"Why not get my sister for this, you fucking-?" I spat.

"Because I wanted you," he said and I gritted back a retort as he leveled me a stare. His smile went lazy, his fingers playing down to my knee and then back up playfully. "And because Bill here tells me that your sister can't extract the same information - if any - from our kind."

My head snapped to the side, my eyes narrowing into deadly slits as I stared at the vampire. Groggily, Bill shook his head, his eyes fluttering in rapid bats.

"What the fuck was that?" Pam slurred and I saw her stumble into Chow as if both of them were waking from a dream.

A gentle squeeze from Eric's fingers around my throat brought my attention back to him. "You'll behave for me won't you, pet?"

My lips curled angrily away from my teeth, my fingers clenching even more in the material of his shirt. "How do you know so much about me? My kind?"

His head tipped to the side in consideration before he gave me a sly smile. "I once fucked one of your kind. When I was still human." Eric's eyes darkened as I drew in a sharp breath. "She was very vocal. About many things."

I growled. "My family's indebt to you, Mr. Northman. Whose fears do you want?"

"Good girl," he praised, his teeth nipping at my nose sharply as he rolled his hips into mine for the briefest moment, creating a deliciously slow friction. Damn him. "I will show you when we arrive at the Tribunal."

"Ah, isn't it a beautiful world?" Pam drawled as I straightened, seething as Eric moved away from me. Her eyes ran over me knowingly. Fuck her. Fuck all of these fuckers. I stormed, stomping away from all four of the vamps. I wanted to go home. I wanted to have Sookie. She would have made this a bit more bearable.

"Runa-" I slapped the hand from my arm, whirling on the civil war vampire to poke a finger into his chest.

"Why do you have to be such a little dipshit?" I hissed, shoving him. I glared venomously up at him. "If I ever hear you giving away my sister's secrets like bargaining tools again, I'll open your coffin and give you to the sun myself. Do you hear me?"

"Silver would help with that process," Pam offered, her eyes running over Bill's dejected form before giving him a fake smile.

"Eric is my Sheriff-" Bill whispered, his eyes flicking from their place on the ground.

I sneered. "Next time why don't you just let him put a sticker on your ass and buy you heels and a nice dress too? That way it'll be like an open warning that you're on call for the night."

Eric snorted. Pam let out a giggle of her own, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, how I do enjoy your new human."

"A bit mouthy," the big Asian vamp observed and I shot him a sneer.

Bill's eyes flashed. Oh, had I got him angry? My hackles raised, my teeth sharpening and aching in their gums. I wanted blood. My fingers tingled, going black and purple again as his fangs clicked down. I may not have been able to make the big brute of a man to standing just behind him pee himself in terror but I had done this before. A single touch would send anyone - undead or breathing - into a hallucination so vivid that they could easily go mad. Best case: scarred for life. Worst case: dead. It was maddening to think that Eric Northman was the one who could get away from me.

" _Tempt me, Compton_ ," I hissed out, my hands crackling. " _Breyta eda andask_."

I resisted the urge to flinch at the new language. My eyes flicked to Eric who was smirking, his head tipped back. A queasy kind of horror tipped through me. His language. I knew his language. I felt like someone had just hit play on some hidden button in the back of my skull. How many other things had changed?

"It was wrong of me," Bill whispered suddenly and my attention refocused on him. I would think about it later. Later when I could comprehend all the things that were changing so quickly. "I should not have done it. Not to Sookie."

Disgruntled, I grunted, turning to stomp away once more as my hands fluttered to a halt.

"Nice place you have here," I muttered dryly. I had thought since all the vamps I had met so far seemed to be born with a silver spoon up their asses, this Tribunal thing would be held in some rich, to do hotel. Or maybe an old plantation home. Hell, maybe they would even be able to find a castle in Louisiana. I was terribly wrong.

Eric stopped beside me as I stared up at the vans and wrecked vehicles that made up the cluttered junk yard. Cluttered in dust and dirt, the place had clearly been abandoned long ago, chains and old rigs left sitting in the heat to rust. It was nearly two in the morning by now and up ahead I could hear the quiet murmur of a mass of people. _Vampires_. It was an old place in the middle of the swamps, just east of the forests.

"I'm going to get my fucking shoes dirty," Pam griped, staring down at the my expensive heels. Her eyes flicked venomously to Eric as he turned a cool gaze to the heels.

"You could have stayed at home," he rumbled and I looked around, oddly at ease as one of his hands slipped to the small of my back. Piled high all around us, the junk nearly reached the skies. Like a big, ugly metal forest with muddy gravel dirt aisles zig zagging all over the place.

"Fuck you, you know that I couldn't have," the blonde sneered.

"A willing risk for my diligent progeny," Eric mused, flashing her a smile before nudging me to a slow walk.

"Cheap skate," I heard her snipe from beside me.

I didn't really pay attention to the turns that we took. We were in a jungle, filled with so many paths that I would never be able to get out. Besides, the only reason I would need to know is if I was running. And the only way I would be able to escape a horde of angry, vampires was - Well, even the thought was laughable. There was no way that I would be able to do that. My slick words would only get a minor number of vampires to be disoriented for a short bit of time and I only had two hands. They would tear me to shreds in a minute.

Soon the gravel narrowed out, Pam's whispered curses growing less and less frequent as she hurried along, still looking as elegant as ever even with the uneven gravel.

"Mouth shut, eyes down," Eric whispered to me suddenly, his hand tightening on my back. His eyes flicked to meet mine. "Do you understand, Runa?"

This was important. No matter how much I despised the thought of being at his mercy, I knew that he was going to be the only one on my side. My eyes flicked to Bill who gave me a worried stare before turning away. The only one able to protect me.

Instead of answering, I pressed my lips tightly together and turned my eyes to the ground, watching the stones pass below me. A low rumble of approval sounded beside me and I shivered at the roll of irritating pleasure that ran through me at the noise. A big hand spanned my hip, pulling me into Eric's side and I suddenly realized my role - what I would be to every other vampire here. Arm candy. Eric's quick fuck. I bit down on my tongue at the thought, quelling my response.

A low murmur shivered through the air as the ground evened into cement completely and I felt the press of a million eyes on us. I kept my eyes down, only glancing up once to get a quick look at the crowd of vampires - so many. More than I had ever seen in one location. The junkyard had opened up into an even bigger area - an old parking lot for cars that were no longer useful.

It looked like they were at a fucking music concert, some sitting on lawn chairs that they had clearly brought from home. Others were splattered across the area, standing high on cars. Right behind the main sitting area was a row of crates that seemed to be stacked together to make up little holding pens. Some had bars and shivering vampires behind them. Others held vamp clearly here to be entertained. It all circled around one car with an open bed on the back, a single chair with a pale, willowy man sitting in it, looking particularly bored as a vampire pleaded at his feet. A sinister cane was held loosely. He looked like some skeletal, comic book villian. Skeletor without the buff or a Victor Zsasz.

My eyes dropped quickly, turning to the feet passing me by as we made our way forward through the crowd to stand near the front, Bill hovering a bit away.

"I do not care," the man's voice cracked through the night, silencing the woman at his feet. His milky eyes flicked toward a vampire with short coppery hair in a leather jacket with gloves. "Luisa, is it something about my face? Something that makes these mutts think that I honestly appreciate the emotions - useless things that should have been left behind with their mortality - think that I would care about… What is the human emotion? The one that most of them say?"

"Love?" Luisa threw out helpfully, her fangs flashing as she smiled down at the quivering vampire.

The man sniffed. "That would be the one. Bind her in silver and throw her in the ground. When she's able to claw her way out, her punishment will be through-"

"PLEASE, MAGISTER! NO!" The vampire screamed and I flinched as the smell of fear permeated the air. This place was ripe with it. "NO-"

"Next!" the Magister snapped as two hulking vampires carted the screaming girl away and along one - male this time - was brought forward to kneel at his feet, silver already burrowing into his steaming flesh as he fell before the pale vampire.

My breath sawed between my teeth as I resisted the urge to jerk away from Eric, feeling a cool hand slip beneath the hem of my black beater to press against the skin of my hip directly. My eyes snapped to his, my jaw setting as he gave me an amused smirk and then tipped his head towards the Magister and Luisa. I blinked, the anger washing away as my mind sharpened. It was them. He wanted _their_ nightmares. My lips thinned.

Vampires were a bit more complicated than humans. Sometimes if the instinct was ripe enough, I could pluck nightmares from the undead like peas from a jar. But that seemed to fade with age and these two seemed very old. Or at least… the Magister did. My eyes focused on the girl, inhaling sharply.

"Idiot," the Magister seethed, still somehow looking bored. I stiffened. Blood was gushing from the convicted vampire's mouth as he choked. They had ripped out one of his fangs. Against my side, Eric let out a low purr, his fangs makings a soft noise as they clicked into place. I glanced around, shrinking into Eric's side as I saw that all of their fangs were out. And that most of them were glancing at me like I was a steak and they hadn't eaten in weeks.

A squeak forced it's way up my throat as Eric's hand tightened on my hips, dragging me to stand in front of him so that he could nuzzle his hand under the other side of my tank. His hips pressed into my ass and against my back I could feel the strong roll of his chest. Damn. The viking bastard better have been thanking his stars that we were in a tribunal or I would have went off on him like a goddamn fucking banshee.

"You fed on a human that belonged to another," the Magister continued on slowly and I tried to focus in on the girl once more even as a certain vampire's thumbs started to move in circles along my skin.

The girl - Luisa - she was actually only as old as Bill, give or take ten to twenty years. I closed my eyes sucking in a breath as I dug a little further. Slaves - I could see them running, barefoot, wanting to scream but sealing their mouths tightly against the reaction as lights flickered like fireflies in the trees behind them. Luisa Prescott - part of the Underground Railroads. I could see her there - whispering to them and running ahead into the night to a small, farm house. There was a cellar door beneath the hay in the pig's pen.

I shivered, not even realizing that I had grasped Eric's wrist until I opened my eyes. She had ran a safe house when she was mortal. Unfortunately, she had brought a vampire there. Luisa had offered him food and water but - I stared at the girl, suddenly feeling sad. Back then she had been afraid of mortal men with whips and knives. She had seen public tortures for those who had harbored slaves.

Now - ironically - Luisa was scared of the thing that she had fought to bring about in her mortal life. She was scared of freedom and change. She was scared of what would happen when order could no longer be restored to her vampire hierarchy. I sniffed, glancing away as the crowd roared for Luisa to pull out the vampire's other tooth. But she also feared confinement. She feared the underground bunkers that she herself had created in 1800's. The vampire that had killed her left her out to bleed in a dirt grave. Funny in a very sad sort of way.

"This trial is concluded," the Magister was saying, flipping through a phone in his hand as if he were marking it off his to-do list. "Moving on~"

A short tug on my hair brought my attention to Eric and I shivered as I caught sight of his fangs, pressing against his top lip. A brow quirked and I tapped once against his wrist, tipping my head to Luisa as if I was leaning back to stare up as him. Smirking, he leaned down to give my ear a gentle nip. Damn. This man knew how to push all my buttons.

"Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5," the Magister called and Eric's head snapped up in attention, softly, moving me away from him.

"Magister," Eric said, bowing his head slightly but not taking his eyes from the Magister. I inhaled as the milky eyes of the man in the chair ran over me and then flicked away, his lips tipping down cynically. Obviously, he thought I wasn't a threat. Or even worth his time.

I was starting to think the exact _opposite_.

Eric was a viking born in the years before Christ himself was born - _anno Domini_ , motherfucker. Something in my mind seemed to open up an hour ago and now it was like a library filled with untapped references. I wasn't all knowing. I wasn't even close. But I _did_ know that Eric Northman was the oldest vampire here and he held more power than this Magister in his fake leather car seat.

If I was indebted to someone, at least it was him.

"Bring me your murderer," the Magister said, an odd twinkle in his eyes as he gave the command.

Eric glanced towards Bill as I focused down on the skeletal man in the chair, my eyes straying to a ring on his left hand. I could just make out a thin cross with a pin-like sword on it's right and some sort of plant growing on its left. My lips thinned. The Magister was at least 400 years older than Luisa. And much more volatile.

Sweat beaded across my forehead, slipping down my neck. Beside me, Pam snarled at a vampire that kept creeping closer and closer, his eyes hungry. I was the only fucking human here. Of course they would be drawn to me.

The Magister was so _un_ like Luisa that it was dizzying to have to switch gears so quickly. Incredibly dogmatic, he seemed to be more inclined to the natural order than even Luisa was with years of fear pounded away from her traumas as a human. The Magister laid down roots so quickly and with such fervor that it was almost laughable.

The ring - my eyes snapped to it once more just as the Magister laughed, his little, skeletal fingers clicking like game pieces on his armrest. I finally caught on the crown held afloat above the cross, foliage thick and elaborate circling it proudly.

 _The Spanish Inquisition_. The words sighed over my brain like a dam finally breaking to flow. A monk, Jorge Alonso - blah, blah, blah, incredibly long Spanish name - he had risen from being from the poor to being one of the most feared inquisitors that the church had ever seen. I flinched, holding back bile as images flashed through my head. He was a sadistic motherfucker - so sick that even his fellow monks had reprimanded his treatment. Fifteen minutes was what each inquisitor was given and Jorge had exceeded that many times.

My head snapped to the side at the sound of a car backing up, my mouth going dry. In front of me, Eric's head tipped to the side as he cast a glance back at me. I gulped. That look was tell me that I wasn't going to say a word. What was-

I gagged, nearly throwing up my dinner as the trunk opened and the stench of decaying flesh and blood hit me. God. How could someone still be conscious with this much fear bloating them?

"You have no nest," the Magister declared, his cane splayed over his crossed legs as he fiddled with it in agitation. These things that he was ticking off seemed to disturb him greatly. "Prefer to consort with humans."

His eyes flicked to me in disgust and I resisted the urge to sneer, my lips curling as I dropped my gaze, feeling Eric's hot stare drilling into the side of my head. _Yeah. Yeah, boss._

"Seems you have lost all sense of our priorities," the Magister murmured. I could still feel his eyes on me, deadly like the tip of a blade running along my flesh. Slowly, they moved away. "Bill Compton, you owe us a life."

The sound of the trunk opening pierced the air, followed by the scramble and sound of screams so hysterical that I couldn't keep my eyes on the ground anymore. I looked up, ignoring the hiss from Eric as horror spiked through me. A girl with red hair the color of carrots stumbled frantically around the circle, looking desperately for something familiar as she sobbed before Luisa threw her down in front of the Magister.

A small sound forced itself up my throat, my eyes burning as something ugly and desperate twisted inside me.

"Don't," Eric growled, one of his hands clasping my shoulder.

His words were distant. If it wasn't for the girl - sobbing and praying on the cement - I would have listened.

"Does your pet have something to add, Mr. Northman?" My eyes snapped up to meet his, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. The gutless worm. I hoped that every fear swimming around in his deluded, little brain would be fully recognized. I hoped Eric tied him in silvers and dragged his ass out to roast for a minute in the sun every hour.

"God, Marie and Joseph," the girl sobbed, turning her eyes to the sky. They had roughed her up before she had gotten here. Bruises marred her pale skin. "SAVE ME!"

The Magister was still staring at me, a brow quirked. Eric's hand tightened on my shoulder, his eyes ice bullets drilling into the side of my head. "No. She doesn't, Magister."

Jorge Alonso didn't even look at him, a smile quirking his lips. "Nothing?"

He was asking me if I wanted to save her. He was asking me if I wanted to take her place - this poor human who had only been out at a party without any alcohol wanting to finally get the attention of the boys who looked over her day after day after day. Tonight, she had thought that it would change. She wanted it to change. She had prayed for it the whole time she did up her hair. It was all gone now. It had fallen out from it's pretty, braided bun and she had fallen out with her dreams. The reality was bitter on my tongue.

Her name was Jessica Hamby and she was only 17.

"Please, miss." She was at my feet, big blue eyes staring wide and blurry as her hands shook, clasping at my legs. Tears tracked through the mud on her cheeks and I gritted against the oncoming wave of images that flood my overworked brain, my fingers curling through one of Eric's belt loops as I braced. "Pl-please - I didn't do - I didn't mean any harm - I just wanted -"

Sookie would have been better. Sookie could have helped her. She could have calmed her. She could have done so many things. So many things that I couldn't - wouldn't do. My finger shook.

"Nothing to save this little human girl?" The Magister questioned, his head cocking to the side as he gave an innocent simper.

My eyes narrowed, words biting across my throat. I knew why Eric hadn't torn Jorge a new one many years ago. Jorge Alonso had gotten into the butt kissing game far before Eric had. One Jorge Alonso was an irritation. A million was a nuclear bomb that would implode. And like spiders, people like him congregated around a dead body. If I offered myself - a _mare_ , if that was what I was to be called - there would be no guarantee that I would rise vampire. An oddity among oddities that would put my family at risk. I couldn't let that happen.

"Sheriff Northman has already given you my answer, Magister." My fingers combed through Jessica's tangle of hair, forcing it away from her temple as she let out a hysterical sob. I couldn't save her but I could take away her fear. My teeth sharpened, the edges scraping along my gums and inner lip to draw blood as I sucked in a breath. Beneath my fingers, Jessica subsided. I looked back to the Magister, pleased to see annoyance evident on his face. I gave him a thin smile. "But thank you for your kind offer."

Jorge's tongue clicked, his finger twitching as Luisa hauled the girl to Bill's feet. Stricken eyes met mine. I looked away.

"Meet your Maker," the Magister called.

Eric pressed into my side, his hand moving to cradle my hip once more as he drew me closer to him. At least she wasn't crying anymore. It was a dull fear, barely there. I didn't look up from the gravel, choking back useless tears as I heard Bill's whispered apologies.

And then Jessica's fear blasted through me like a nuclear bomb going off, all of it convulsing from her body into mine. I stuttered out a breath, each draw of air painfully quick as I turned fully, pressing my face into Eric's chest. God. It hurt. I gasped, clawing at the material of his shirt as his arms curled slowly around me. Did he know? Did he know what I had done? I held back a screamed, my heart pumping unevenly as her body fought for survival. Arteries went off like slots in a pinball machines.

I took it all, my teeth sinking into the top layer of my tongue.

Tears trickled from my eyes. All she had to do was lose one fifth of her blood supply. One fifth and her mind dimmed to that of a flickering light bulb. I went limp, the last bit of life shivering out of her as I released my hold on her fear and slipped into blissful darkness.


	8. Waking Up

I had been passed out in some office for a couple of days. The only reason I knew that was because I had ruffled through the psychopaths desk… before finding a nice little calendar plastered to the wall with the days neatly marked off. The door was locked and I was pretty sure that it was chained from the outside. _Fuckers_.

There were no windows, no other entrances, and I was pretty sure that the ducts that I found in the ceiling were going to be booby-trapped with some fucked up serial killer death traps. I had watched the jigsaw movies and I was not fucking with confined spaces.

"Son of a fucking whore!" I shrieked, slamming the heel of my foot into the desk repeatedly.

That was another thing - they had changed me into a sexy little black silk slip complete with some garter straps and some thigh highs that were cutting off the circulation in my legs.

"Undead _fucker_ ," I hissed tearing the shit away from my legs and hurling every scrap at the door. A pathetic attempt. I watched as they stalled out midair and floated uselessly to the ground.

I had a pretty good idea about who had kidnapped me and stuck me in their storage closet. At the moment, I was wondering if I would rather have been freaking out on whether Pinhead was about to bust out of one of the vents or have the vague half-memories that were now starting to surface.

Roughly, I pressed a hand to my eyes, trying to push the bubbling memories from resurfacing back by sheer pressure. Maybe I should have been grateful that I was here. If I was with my sister, the thoughts that I was having would have probably been too enticing to resist taking a peep at. A pop of pain zipped through my skull as my nails dug into my eyelids. It was useless. I couldn't stop the flood of consciousness now that it was upon me.

I remembered being tired. Exhausted. Pure, bone-melting exhaustion - that's what you get after you suck all the pain and lucidity out of a 17 year old girl. I had honestly been kind of impressed that I had remained conscious. But then again, maybe I would rather have been knocked out just so that I wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of having to look like even more of a weak, pathetic fuck doll for Eric fucking Northman.

"I'm surprised to see you handling a human so delicately, Sheriff," a blond female vamp had mused, her eyes doing very little to hide the nauseating jealousy that she was obviously feeling. Her fangs were still clicked down from the earlier display of bloodletting that seemed to be one of those fucked up rituals that vamps partook. The fact that they remained down told a whole 'nother story. Especially since her eyes remained fixed on me - poor, little human with the big bad vamp.

Eric's eyes caught mine as he glanced down, the muscled slopes of his arms tightening around me. I shrugged, blinking groggily up at him as I waited for the heaviness that was waiting at the edges of my vision. At the moment, I honestly couldn't care less about an old, undead hag who probably glamoured every man she took to bed. Reflexively, my fingers reached out, curling into his shirt as I turned into him. For now, I would depend on him - big bad Viking vamp that he was. I would depend on him to get me away from all the people that wanted to eat me because - well, it was his responsibility wasn't it. I definitely didn't trust _him_. But I did trust in the fact that he took his responsibilities seriously. And as of right now, I was one of them.

"You always did like your meals to be scared little rabbits, Meredith," he rumbled and I felt the sound in my fingertips as he hefted me a bit higher into his chest.

"They taste better when they're a little…" Her eyes leered down at me, a strange glint entering them as she stared down at me. " _Unsure_."

I snapped out, hissing lowly as one of her fingers ran a slow line down my arm, snarling as she jerked back in unexpected surprise. A single raised brow from Eric sent me falling back into his chest, the sudden outburst draining me further. He could handle the rest, I was sure. It was no benefit to him if vamps came snooping around his bar for a hint of the _unexpected_.

"I wouldn't advise you to touch things that aren't yours," he murmured, his eyes snapping as he gave her a dangerous smirk that sent her reeling back farther but strangely blushing at the same time. "Someone might think that you're trying to take what doesn't belong to you. They might get angry and anger is such a delicate emotion - who know what could happen?" His smile turned mockingly sweet as Meredith paled. "It's a good thing that we both know that sometimes your hands get away from you, isn't it, Meredith?"

I'm sure there was more than the scared, little flutter of, "N-no, Sheriff. I-" that came from the blond vampire but I was already drifting off.

The couch that I fell into was itchy and felt like a palate that refugees would sleep on in barren hostels. Not to mention that it was barf _green_ , making the OCD part of me shrivel up and die an agonizing death as I caught sight up the ratty red rolly chairs in front of the long oak desk at the back of the room. In fact that desk and the matching oak bookcase pressed up against the wall in back of it were the only nice, organized things in this room. The rest was all strange flyers and ugly, tacky metal storage units and mismatched furniture.

I didn't want to think about how pathetic I was anymore. I wanted to do something fun.

Glancing quickly back at the door, I slid onto the desk. I had made a bit of a mess looking through his desk but… The tip of my finger skimmed along the classy lamp sitting on the edge of his desk. It was made of colored glass. I gave it a nudge.

"Oops," I murmured noncommittally, staring down at the splintered shards of the now decimated lamp. Better not to step on that. I lifted my feet completely onto the desk crawling across it to grab onto the nearest metal storage unit. Maybe I gave it too much of a tug because it went crashing to the ground. "Oh _nnnnoooo_."

On the bookcase was a picture of a Viking boat.

"Beautiful," I murmured, reaching over to pluck it off the top to trace a finger over the striped sails. Spinning on the desk, I hurled it toward the door. This didn't float to the ground like the thigh highs. This splintered on the metal door with such force that the frame burst apart.

If Eric fucking Northman thought that he could steal me aware and lock me inside a room - dress me up like all the blow up dolls that he got off of Amazon - then he was in for another thing. I clawed at anything that I could get my hands into, tearing papers and frames off the walls, yanking out the drawers from the desk, getting on my hands and knees on the desk to push over the rolly chairs in front of it. I tore the books off his shelves, most of them about geography and the beauty of maps. Typical fucking Viking. He might as well get a coach bag and a dog to flounce around with since he was such a basic fucking blonde bitch.

Not that I would ever say that to his face.

I was more of a tear up his office and than plead innocence kind of gal.

I giggled as I took another book off the shelves and then stopped. It was about Norse lore - more encyclopedia than book, huge and nearly brand new. I wasn't sure if he had ever read these books, none of them seemed used in the slightest. I gingerly crawled from my perch on the desk to curl into the giant leather chair behind Eric's desk, flipping to the m section.

And then I settled in for the most fucked up read I'd ever had the pleasure of going through. I rarely read so maybe that was a bit of a short bar to hop over but _fuck_. If I was a _mare_ than I was one of the most deviant, disgusting creatures to ever crawl out from the depths of this green earth.

A brief summary would be that we rode around on horses and sometimes _trees_ at night. The way that people could tell? If the horses hair was tangled or the branches in a tree were wound together. (It was honestly kind of weird how much they emphasized our particular affinity for tangling hair.) The Polish even blamed a hair disease on us for this particular reason exactly which seemed a bit low.

We fed on fears, riding the backs and sitting on the chests of humans. It was said that we could slip through the thinnest cracks, slide into the folds of sheets and reach out from the darkness to suck the life away from any living creature.

It was... odd. Every other creature that I could think of seemed to be touched by the whispers of a _mare_. Poltergeists were old but… we were _older_. So old that the strange happenings in nightmares that always seemed to be blamed on ghosts was at first rubbed away to hint at _mares_ instead. Succubus seemed to just be a fancy term for lesser _mares_ that could barely suck the life out of an unconscious victim. Witch's took our forms, twisting into our skin for a moment and then beseeching us to kill their enemies with offers of blood and wine.

I shut the book hard, staring down at the antique cover that was so detailed that I thought it was sewn in silk. The words sat bitterly at the bottom of my brain, pressing heavily into my eyes. It… was a lot of information. My eyes wandered blurrily to the disaster zone that used to be Eric's office. I was too confused and...angry (I think I should have been angry) to be proud.

Experimentally, I flexed my fingers, watching as they crackled with purple light before dimming. There was no power behind it. My abilities were run by my emotions. In the long run I was pretty sure that that was going to get me killed if I wasn't more careful. My eyes drifted to the broken frame lying at the entrance to the room. Maybe trashing Eric's office hadn't been the best idea in my whole lay low scheme. I had never been that great at following common sense.

"I can smell your fucking human from across the goddamn bar!" My head snapped up at the voice, my back straightening as all of my attention focused down on that door.

"Like chocolate and vodka," a deep voice rumbled and my insides tightened, my feet uncurling from under me to tap lightly down to the wood floors. _Eric_.

 _Chocolate and vodka?_ I blushed.

"Fuck! It just got stronger." I flinched, my eyes watering as I kept them focused on the door. I didn't move. My lunges started to burn - I didn't breath. They could smell when I was blushing.

"If you come near this fucking room, I will pull your lunges out from your throat just so that I can find your air ducts and rip them out directly." There was a lilt to his voice that made me think that he was smiling. "Understand?" The door opened. He was smiling - smirking really. All he ever did was smirk. His eyes flicked coolly to the shredded papers and destroyed shelves before lazily turning back to me. "I've always heard that pets can be quite a mess to keep."

I scrambled to my feet, hurling the book of mythology at his head with a hiss. "WHO FUCKING CHANGED ME, YOU UNDEAD PERVERT?!"

He caught it, glancing at the cover before tossing it aside. His eyes lit with amusement as he glanced up from beneath his lashes. Damn him. Heat shivered through my stomach at that glance. "Reading up on some distant relatives?"

"Has sleeping fucking beauty finally woken from her slumber?" Pam slid in beside Eric before stilling, her eyes drifting around the room. My shoulders stiffened, feeling uncomfortable and hot beneath Eric's unwavering gaze. A slow smile slid into place as she drawled, "Love the new decor."

"Clean this up," he replied smoothely, never taking his eyes from me. I stayed where I was, back against the wall. At least here no one could sneak up on me. Not that they would need to.

"I was a whore not a fucking maid in my human life, if you'll recall," Pam spat, her eyes lighting to a blaze. "They may seem similar but I can assure you that I rarely bent over without getting paid first."

Eric's eyes rolled heavenward before finally meeting hers. "Then find someone else. Just get it done." He caught her arm before she left with a huffy turn. "And I do pay you."

"Oh, honey," she murmured with cold honey freezing along her words. "That's barely enough to cover my shoes."

I didn't dare laugh. The thought was funny but right when it bubbled up, it froze somewhere in my throat as Eric gave an appreciative snort and turned the icy depths of his gaze back on me.

We stared at each other. For how long, I had no clue. All I knew was that the first one who moved would be the deciding factor on what this meeting would be like - violent and angry or cold and distant. And in my little satin nightie I didn't feel up to the responsibility.

"The slip looks good on you," Eric said smoothly, his eyes slipping along my curves, landing the longest on my neck and breasts and then sweeping over my thighs so many times that I thought he was under the impression if he just kept looking, they might open. His fangs clicked down, his shoulders hunching in that primal way that he always had about him. I shivered.

"At least now I know that the only way you can see a girl in lingerie is to change them while they're unconscious," I snarled snidely, trying my best to glare instead of look like the horny mess that I was.

"Runa." Damn. The way he said my name was so sexy. His eyes crinkled as he gave me an almost sympathetic smirk. My breath hitched, stuttering as he suddenly appeared in front of me. Too close. I caught a whiff of meadow dew and earth as he leaned down, his hands coming up to grasp the bookcase behind me as he caged me in. My nipples peaked painfully, arousal shivering through me and melting my insides. "If I wanted to rip your clothes off and plunge my dick into that sweet little pussy, I would. Making you moan my name until you come is all I've been thinking about lately."

I blinked, gulping down a breath. I couldn't look away from his eyes - those sexy blue eyes staring at me now with a heat that was threatening to burn me up. Fuck. My panties were drenched. He took a long breath.

"Mm," he tumbled out, the words vibrating through his chest and straight into my nipples, causing a whimper to escape. Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to rub myself against him like a cat in heat. "You smell even better when you're all wet and ready for me." My breath caught as he leaned closer, tipping his head to the side as his eyes crinkled in a wicked smile. "Are you a screamer?"

I took a shaky breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. Runa Stackhouse did not stand speechless while a sexy undead viking gave her sass. Sexy, mind numbing, panty drenching sass. But here I was, panting, flushed and leaning into him like at any moment I was going to reach up and yank him to me. Was it a battle or lust? With Eric Northman was there a difference?

"Why have you kept me here?" My words were so soft that I knew that if he were human that I'd have to repeat myself.

His fangs flashed in a wolfish grin and he leaned closer, his voice rumbling over me. "I asked first."

"I dont give a f-"

"Manners."

I huffed, staring up at him. I rarely had to stare up at people. I was always as tall if not taller than any male in my vicinity. So I was a bit thrown off my game if I was being completely honest.

It was time to change up the game. Open aggression obviously wasn't a way to get anything from this man.

I leaned into him more, bringing a hand up slowly (I didn't want to become a vamps meal just because I touched the king) to slip beneath his leather jacket. His eyes tracked the movement, sudden caution stilling his features. _There we go_. I smiled a sweet, slow smile, letting my southern accent thicken and turn my voice into a low drawl.

"I am a screamer, sweetheart," I murmured. _Damn_. He was more ripped than I could have ever imagined. My hands skimmed up to his collarbone and slowly back down to his abs. Slowly, I went up on the tips of my toes, bringing my lips close to his ears. "Want me to scream for you?"

A snort was the only reply I got as he deftly moved away from me, leaving me to grope the air. Rage quickly took the place of slyness as he leaned against his desk.

"Submission really doesn't suit you, pet. It makes me almost wonder if you're trying to get something from me," he drawled, tipping his head to the side to give me an irritatingly puzzled stare. I sneered in return. He snorted again, his fangs clicking back into place.

"Can't blame a girl for trying, sweetheart," I said with enough sugar and false innocence that I could have made a cake out of thin air.

"Next time you try to top from the bottom, I'll have you bent over my desk, screaming."

I spluttered, blinking rapidly as he turned to pick up a stack of papers.

"I would rather eat a bowl of rattlesnakes than have sex with you, Mr. Northman," I hissed indignantly.

His fangs clicked down again as he flashed me a smirk over his shoulder. "I've been told that vampires are very similar to rattlesnakes, pet. Perhaps I could convert you over to eating me instead."

I was very close to tearing my hair out and then trying to create a noose with the strands. This man was insufferable. He had a quick remark to everything. I took a breath. And then another one. Slowly, I forced my hands to uncurl from their fists.

"Why am I being kept here?" I whisper, watching as Eric picked up a few more pages.

"You have something that I want," he murmured, turning serious all at once. I licked my lips. He turned to lean against his desk once more. His brows lifted expectantly.

"After this, you will release me from the contract that you made with my sister," I whispered, standing straighter. Maybe if I faked indifference I would feel less naked.

Eric's brows raised, his smirk turning up even more. "I don't remember saying that."

"I've done a great deal for you," I continued, just as lowly, trying not to let the desperation seep into my words. But the way that he was looking at me - like he knew that I was smarter than the words that were coming out of my mouth - it made me want to stop speaking. "Those vampires - they are important people. I - I-" I stopped, shaking my head as I stuttered.

"I don't think you realized the depths that you're in, pet," he suddenly murmured and there was something in his voice that made me stop and look at his with a bit too much. I could feel all the emotions - pure, unadulterated vulnerability - bubbling up and spilling into my eyes. He saw it. I knew that he did.

"I don't need your pity," I spat, shoulders going up as I shifted - suddenly realizing that I was literally backed into a corner.

"Don't use words that I don't understand." He smirked and I resisted the urge to throw another book at him. My eyes narrowed on him as I felt a sudden surge of tears. It was the angry kind of wave that overtook you at your most vulnerable moments. At that moment, I could only think of my grandmother. And my sister who had fallen apart in the most delicate way possible - caving in on herself until all you could see was the barren bones of the structure she had once been. And then this deal with the vampires - the final slap to the face. I felt suddenly trapped, a broken kind of enslavement that made my breath heavy and my limbs stiffen.

He didn't understand. I jerked back, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that I was close to tears. I gasped sharply, looking away.

"What more do I have to pay you for?" I whispered sharply, swallowing as I tried to regain some semblance of control. "My sister has offered our services but I was under the impression that gaining such valuable information would repay our debt in full."

Before he could say anymore, there was a light knock on the door and a dainty female entered with a bucket. Her eyes briefly flitted around the room before she gave a bow to Eric.

"Mademoiselle Pam zent me to clean ze mess?" Her words were heavily weighed down with a French accent. I rolled my eyes, choosing to stare pointedly at the bookcase as Eric gave a nod. She was a vampire so it was done within seconds, all the papers either stacked neatly into drawers or tacked back to the wall. All that work for nothing. I rolled my eyes.

Her arrival was advantageous though. By the time that she gave a final nod and left the room, I had regained my stability. My armor was back in place and I was willing to finally do battle. Eric's eyes tracked me as I moved to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk. I wouldn't let him use my family up and then dispose of us like dirty trash when the time came.

Dainty and deliberately slowly, I crossed my legs, not missing the way Eric's eyes darkened at the action and wandered to the extra inch or two of exposed skin as my slip slid farther up.

"You will release us from our deal, Mr. Northman," I murmured, forcing his eyes to snap back to mine. For a moment, I thought he might not have heard me.

"I will not waste anymore time, _mare_ ," he said suddenly, straightening to his full height. "Your brother has gotten himself involved in some… unhealthy habits." A flutter of panic ran through me and for a moment I stopped breathing, trapped as Eric held my gaze. "The only thing keeping him out of my custody is my involvement with your sister - well, perhaps I should simply reduce that down to you. Since you have clearly taken it upon yourself to deal with this on your own."

"My siblings are useless," I hissed, hackles raising as I thought desperately of anyway to minimize my sisters telepathic abilities. "I am the only one that you need to complete any mission."

" _Confident_ ," he mused, smirking. His gaze turned serious again. "Jason Stackhouse's crimes against my kind are grave. I have dealt with humans for far less than what he has sunk himself into."

I gulped, searching desperately for something to say. "If - if I corporate - if I do what you say then you'll - you'll let my brother… go?"

"I will ignore the crimes that he has committed," he agreed. His eyes turned deep, considering. "You do this for your family?"

 _Jason_ , my mind whispered. _What have you done?_

"Who else would I do it for?" I finally replied, trying for a smile and failing miserably. I suddenly felt tired - like something essential had been sucked out of me and all I had left was a bone-deep kind of panic. "Would you like to know what I found, Mr. Northman?"

His eyes narrowed at the sudden distance in my voice but he nodded, sitting down behind his desk.

"The female vampire was an Underground Railroad transporter. She was unlucky enough to pick up a stray vampire and was drained in her own bunker. Now she's terrified of confined spaces and…" I stopped, considering my next words. "Equality among vampires and humans is not what she seeks. If you want to manipulate her - she will always choose the argument that allows for vampires to be on the superior spectrum."

"You are far more of an asset than I had imagined," was the only reply that I got and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm only halfway through, big boy," I said sarcastically, earning me a wolfish grin. "The magistor was...harder. He was an inquisitor in the 1400's, nearing the 1500s. Ironically, he can't handle any form of physical abuse. He will cave under any form of silver work. He also has a...pet… There is a human that he keeps in a bunker at one of his homes. She is his only secret."

"You don't know which home?" Eric inquired, his eyes sharp. I shook my head. It was exhausting enough to dig around inside the man deep enough to find the information that I had. He stayed quiet for a moment, brooding over some horrible plan or another. "You have been very helpful, pet."

"Are we done?" I sneered, crossing my arms under my breasts and then rolling my eyes as my Eric's smirk grew at the sight of my boobs lifting. "I have things I have to get back to."

"Your brother and sister?" The way he said it made it sound almost mocking. "Their debt will still be there no matter how long the time you are away."

I grimaced. "What exactly did my brother do?"

Eric's expression darkened. Outside of the bar I could hear the beginnings of a rowdy night at Fangtasia. "Your brother got himself involved in the V. I'm afraid he's quiet addicted at this point."

I paled, my mouth going cottony as I stared up at Eric. Not only was V highly addictive, but it was also _highly_ illegal. That wasn't even putting into perspective the fact that he had to get the stuff from somewhere.

"He came here a couple of nights ago and left with a known trafficker," Eric continued, his voice dipping into a controlled rumble.

My brain snapped into focus. "It wouldn't be-"

"A tiny, little hippie girl who too much body odor to be ignored," Eric supplied, looking slightly bored.

" _Bitch_ ," I spat, one Amy Burley's face flashing across my mind. No wonder the girl had kept my brothers attention for so long. She was supplying him. Not to mention how incredibly gullible he was by nature. It was the crazy ones that always knew the plan. I got up from my seat. "Are we done here? I have a skank's ass to go kick."

Eric's lips twitched. "I would say yes but-"

The door to Eric's office suddenly burst open, leaving a fuming Bill in its place followed by - I glanced down, swallowing hard. Jessica Hamby, recently turned from the state of her clothes.

"I can't take this anymore," he burst, his eyes not even catching sight of me until after he had stormed into the room. Jessica's attention was short lived, only to send a rather thorough glance to Eric that had my skin crawling and my mind snapping. _Not worth it, little vamp._ "R-Runa?"

"Cat got your tongue?" I questioned sweetly, settling a hip against the desk as Eric chuckled, making his way around the it to stand beside me. For good measure, I sent Bill a wink, getting a little too much pleasure out of the appalled look that froze his face.

"What are you-?" He didn't seem to be able to finish the sentence and by the way that he was eyeing my current attire, I got the jist of where his mind was going. And I didn't really appreciate it. "What are you doing here, Runa?"

I put on a pout, turning into Eric's side so that I could rub up against him like a cat. I nearly purred as his eyes darkened to a stormy blue, my breasts rubbing up against his arm as I sent a hand to wander up his torso.

"I've been a bad, bad girl, Bill," I smirked, trying my best to look entranced as I stared up at the big, bad viking who looked like he was more than enjoying how low my hand was going.

"Eric, did you glam-" I sent a stapler straight for his head, whirling to growl at him.

"No, you idiot!" I snarled, feeling like an animal that had had its tail pulled one too many times. "I've been holed up here for fucking days unconscious!"

"Well, how was I-" I sent a book end this time, sneering as I rounded the chairs to poke at his chest.

"I understand that you couldn't have done anything, Bill but I for one enjoy taking aggression out on someone who's manners get in the way of a retort." I huffed, whirling around to go and sit glumly beside Eric on the desk who looked like he was more than enjoying himself.

"Glorious, isn't she?" He grinned, leaning against the edge of the desk so close to me that I considered scooting over. But honestly, what was the point? I was already dressed in the most obnoxious nightie ever and I was pretty sure that all the close contact had already sent a clear message. That message being something along the line of: _I don't like you but damn you're too fine not to touch._

"If it wasn't for her sister, I would never go near her," Bill said dryly and I rolled my eyes. He tipped his head in my direction. "Apologies for any offense."

I gave him the finger.

"I assume this isn't a social visit," Eric said, cutting to the real issue as he eyed the dirty ginger girl that was currently curled around his door like a dog waiting to be let off a leash. His next words were dry. "She turned out rather well."

"Have you fed her?" For the most part, Jessica was doing a good job of not paying us any mind.

A sudden helpless desperation entered his eyes. "I tried to feed her Tru Blood but she wouldn't take it."

"Probably because it tasted like shit." Jessica jumped, as if surprised at the word and then giggled. " _Fucking_ shit." Obviously feeling naughty, she bit her lip with a grin and turned back to the door.

It was really hard to feel sorry for her when she was being like this. She looked liked she _enjoyed_ being a vampire. My brows furrowed. She had been so different at the tribunal.

"Your point?" Eric drawled, beginning to sound bored. Slowly, a long finger reached out to play along the edge of my nightie, causing me to jump.

"You stop that," I hissed, slapping at his hand and sending a glare his way.

"Make me?" He dared darkly and I was half tempted to take him up on the offer as he gave me a smirk.

"I need you to take her for a bit." The plead in Bill's voice must have drawn the viking's attention because he stopped playing with my slip and glanced the other vampire's way.

"She's your punishment not mine." Eric scoffed and for a moment his incredulous gaze met mine. I shrugged. I never really knew what Bill was going to pull. His mind was a lot more snakey than I had thought upon our first meeting. "What am I supposed to do with her?"

"Excuse me." Jessica glanced back from her position at the door. "I can hear you, Mr. Rude."

I gave a low whistle and she flinched, eyes widening as she touched a finger to her ears. Obviously the new senses were a bit overwhelming still. The way that she was talking to Eric - either she was incredibly brave or just plain stupid. Eric's brows lifted slightly, taking the insult with a lot less bite than I expected.

Jessica's shoulders slumped at she gave a huge sigh, leaning back into the door. "I wanna go to the bar. I wanna be one of those dancers." Bill's face tightened in irritation. Obviously he had heard this speech a variety of different times in different ways. "Ooooohhh, I'm hungry," she whined.

Bill looked to Eric, helpless. "She won't listen to me. It will take more time than I have to teach her obedience."

"I don't obey anybody," Jessica snapped. "Those days are over."

"You didn't get out much in your human life, didja?" I drawled, smirking as she sent me her best sneer. Eric smirked.

"Can't handle one little girl, Bill?" he mocked, chuckling as Bill slumped heavily into a seat in front of his desk. Roughly, he patted the dark-haired vampires shoulder. "Newborns can be like this. Man up, my friend. She's not even one night old."

The blond haired vampire straightened, the muscles in his shoulders rolling as he took off his leather jacket. And handed it to me. My nose wrinkled.

"What am I?" I demanded, glaring up at him. "Your coat check girl, now?"

"You looked cold." He raised a brow in a silent dare. I was actually a little bit cold. And his jacket looked pretty comfortable. I sniffed, turning my nose up as I slipped it on. It nearly engulfed me, running so big that the arms draped over my hands.

In the back of my mind, my gran gave a sharp reprimand. I shot him an icy stare. "Thank you."

"You must be the town's little darling," he drawled back playfully and I grimaced, snapping at his fingers as a thumb drifted roughly over my bottom lip.

"I have a real problem here," Bill sniped and Eric turned, settling in the chair beside him.

"You want to stay with your maker, right?" Eric inquired, drawing Jessica's attention once more.

"No," the redhead snapped. "He's a dick. Dick, dick, _dick_."

I tried not to smirk as Eric let out an appreciative chuckle.

That one sound seemed to draw Jessica's attention. I tried not to look too alert as she smiled. "You're cute. Can I sit on your lap?"

I let out a sharp laugh, the sound coming out a lot more harsh than I meant it to be. Jessica's eyes snapped to me and she let out a low hiss, her fangs clicking down. Oh _fuck_ that.

"Put your baby fangs away before I rip them out myself," I seethed, my fingers crackling beneath the leather of Eric's jacket. There was no way that I was letting a newly turned brat fuck around with me - especially when I had so many other things to deal with.

"Sit down and shut up." His voice boomed out so suddenly that I had to quil the instinct to jump, my eyes snapping to the blonde-haired vampire who was leaning forward in his chair.

Jessica jerked, swallowing heavily and then blinked, taking an unsteady step toward a chair.

"Close the door," Eric finished, almost offhanded as Jessica fumed but followed orders. His eyes stayed locked on her for a bit before he turned back to Bill. "You see, you have to be tough with them or they'll walk all over you."

I was sure about that. You have a human that matured up to a regular age where they were expected to make their own choices and then you thrust them into the body of a vampire who was only considered "old" once they got in the hundreds digits. There was bound to be some conflict.

"I am well aware of that but you can see how she is," Bill snapped, watching Jessica with a degree of loathing that I hadn't seen before. "And there are urgent matters to which I must attend."

Eric sighed. "Sookie Stackhouse?"

My head whipped around. "You haven't gone to see my sister yet?"

Bill had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "I just barely emerged from the ground. There was no time…"

"My sister isn't that great at waiting, Bill," I warned, staring hard at the vampire. "Just remember that."

"Haven't you already done enough for her?" Eric burst in, looking slightly more bored than usual.

I flinched as the degree of violence went up a notch, Bill snarl as he glared at the viking. "If any harm were to come to her-"

Eric was on him so fact that my head spun, his movements like that of a snake before it struck.

"What?" His voice was low, belaying the overall threatening aura that dripped from his every pore. I stilled, freezing where I was as I kept a heavy gaze on the encounter.

Bill gulped. I reached out, my fingers curling tentatively around a pair of scissors. The black-haired vampire blinked, quickly backing down. "Without her helpful services."

My fingers tightened even more on the object, not daring to look away from the exchange.

"LET ME OUT!" Jessica suddenly shrieked. "I wanna do something bad."

For once, I was relieved to have the new vampire in the party.

"I would be in your debt." It was like the words were drawn from him, painfully. "I would return the favor."

"Oh yes," Eric murmured. "You will."

Even Bill looked surprise. I spluttered, blinking as Eric stoof from his chair. "You most definitely will."

"You're taking her?" I questioned, incredulously, blinking up at him as he came to stand in front of me once more.

"I like favors," he said with a smirk, his eyes twinkling as he stared down at me.

"I've noticed," I sniped, pressing back a bit as he leaned down, his broad arms caging me in on either side. My next words came out tighter than I wanted them to. "Am I to assume that I'm free to go, Mr. Northman?"

"Until I need you next," he clarified and I resisted the urge to lean up and take his lips between my teeth and bite it. It would be easy - and wouldn't he be surprised? I wonder what he would look like - it almost made me do it just to catch a sight of that expression on his face. I was already leaning forward, my breath catching as his breath drifted along my lips. His eyes had got low, heavy lidded as he watched me. I leaned forward even more, gasping as my breasts slid along his chest.

"I hope my services are never needed," I whispered, wanting so bad for him to lean that little bit closer. Instead he gave me a smirk.

"I have a feeling that I'll need your services more and more, Ms. Stackhouse." I jerked, breaking free of the spell that had been cast so quickly that I lost my breath. It was the last name - Stackhouse - that was what snapped me out of it. If it weren't me in this office than it would be my sister.

"That's a shame," I rushed out, ducking beneath his arm to make my way hurriedly to the door. "I'm afraid I'll be keeping your jacket for now, Mr. Northman. Sad to say that I don't have time to wait for my clothes back but I'll be sure to return it later."

Eric's eyes were calculating as he stared after me, his face solemn. "I will call you when I need your assistance again," he finally said. His eyes snapped suddenly to Jessica who looked to be trying to claw her way out of the room. "Jessica! Would you like to learn how to feed?"

Well, she seemed absolutely delighted by that. I scoffed wheeling around to tear open the door.

"Runa." I turned at the voice, staring into the worried eyes of Bill. Was he worried? What an odd vampire. "Would you like a... ride? I am going to Sookie as well."

"I appreciate the thought." I forced a smile. "But I would like a walk more."

It was a lie but as I saw Eric take Jessica's elbow in a firm grasp and her turn those big, blue eyes on him, I was more inclined to tear out of their than ever. I gave him a tight smile, whirling to Bill. _Fuck Eric Northman._

"On second thought, I would like to get out of here as fast as possible." I nodded to the exit. "It would be safer with you - shall we?"

There was a look in Bills eyes that I didn't want to read into too much. So instead I wrapped it all up tightly and gave him my best smile.


	9. Good Little Girls Follow the Rules

"Little girl~" Light rain splattered my face, making me gasp as I struggled to wake from another world, another dream. A better dream - one that made me ache and feel alive - finally alive after years and years of… _existing_.

I gasped, reeling as a hot, calloused finger skimmed along my cheek, burning into my skin as it went down, down, down my neck and to my collarbone.

"Wake. Up." I didn't want to wake up. And whoever this brod was, she was being a real _bitch_. So I gritted down and gave her the mental middle fingers as I tried to focus on anything except for her finger that was burning through my collarbone. Dreams were kind of my thing. I had done this before - slipped seamlessly from one subconscious to the other. I could do this. I could get out of this.

I thought of that distant world, soft and warm instead of this cold place, just below the mountains. I thought of my sister's laughter, the way her eyes sparkled as Jason chased her around the lawn with a squirt gun. Of Lafayette and Tara when they were sitting on our porch in our wicker chairs as the fireflies came out, griping about some asshole that had hassled them that week. Then they were turning as Sookie stepped out of the screen door, holding iced tea followed by - my breath caught as my mind sighed over her white hair and a soft smile. _Gran_.

"How sweet." The voice was back, jarring me. She didn't sound like she thought it was sweet. Her voice was made of brimstone and darkness. She sounded like she wanted to burn my world to the ground. She sounded like she could. "But isn't one of those people already gone?"

 _Gran_. I bit down on my tongue, so hard that a gush of blood filled my mouth which earned an amused giggle from the woman above me. Woman? Her voice… Women? A shiver crawled up my spine as I remembered a clearing, a tree so large that it seemed that it was clawing its way to the clouds that thundered above. But I hadn't dreamed of that place since I was small. There was no way-

"Oh there's always a way with us, darling." I swallowed a scream, seizing against the chill, dewy ground as another finger searing into my skin, burning and blistering the skin there. Tears leaked from my eyes without will as the pain caught in my throat. Hot, damp breath blew over my ear. "Even a child like you should know that."

 _Someplace_. I was losing the thread of that world - _my_ world. Why was I so scared? Why did this woman frighten me so much? I needed something to keep me grounded. I needed - Eric. He was dancing through my mind before I could stop myself, his smile taunting me. Wisps of blonde hair fell into his eyes, making the blue there seemed shaded and safely concealed.

"No!" I did scream this time, jerking away as all five fingers curled around my throat. Some part of my mind shut off, the back of my brain zinging through with so much pain that I thought I would blackout. Tears blurred my vision as I crawled, breaking her hold with agonizing slowness. My hands clawed into the ground as I slid farther away, trying to focus in around me but only really seeing darkness and the shadow of a great oak as it crouched over me.

And the woman - she wasn't here anymore. Did I imagine it? I whimpered weakly as my fingers reached up to skim over the oozing blisters that were forming. Definitely real then.

"It's just a dream," I whispered, panic threatening to burst from me as my stomach knotted painfully. I curled around my knees, my eyes flicking around the clearing nervously. Was this what I had dreamed when I was younger? What kind of fucked up little psychopath was I?

"Not a dream." I jumped at the sudden voice - voices - shivering as a shadow swept across the edge of the clearing, drawing closer and closer with an otherworldly grace. Slowly, the dim light cast from the dozens of stars above revealed a tangle of dark hair and luminous, milky white eyes. But then there would be a swirl of blue or green that would outline her pupils. She was completely naked, her breasts full and enticing and her whole body slightly muscled. She was gorgeous, taking my breath away as she moved slowly toward me. But not in the otherworldly way that girls on my TV were. She looks destructive, gorgeous in the way that a goddess of war would be. "You've been very bad, Runa dear."

I shivered, curving towards the roots that bit out from the earth around me, like they could hide me. "How - how do you know who I am? Where am I?"

The woman sighed in irritation, stepping nimbly over a series of roots. "You were so much more bearable when you were younger." A slow smile spread across her face, giving me a rather startling glimpse of teeth that looked like little needles. I gasped, lurching as I ran my tongue along the sharp tips of my own canines. "But then again, it all comes around here doesn't it?"

She let out a little giggle that made me uncomfortable, suddenly feeling itchy in my own skin. "What-"

That's when I saw it. _Felt_ it.

This wasn't my body.

My hands were chubby, fingernails caked in dirt and grass. And - for the love of God - I was wearing an atrocious pair of overalls that had a iron-on butterfly at the pockets. It was what Gran would always dress me in and - I brought a tentative hand up to my hair, wincing at the cropped cut, shaved down to the scalp on the sides. What. The. Fuck?

"What the fuck did you do to me?" I gritted out, angry tear suddenly springing to my eyes as I glared up at her, moving to crouch instead of just sitting on my ass like some - Well, like some dumb kid. Which I was. Which was terrible. What if I had to go through pimples and gangly awkwardness and sexual discovery again. That was fucking terrifying.

"Oh, simmer down, child." Her eyes weren't on me anymore, turning instead to the great oak that loomed in the middle of the clearing. I squinted, an instant of vague recognition lightening my mind.

"My tree." Distantly, I heard the soft giggles of a little girl, a chill breeze rolling from the mountains in the distance. At the trunk, amid the snarl of roots that burst from the ground, twisting around each other as if fighting to strangle some of the life from their siblings, I thought I caught a glimpse of dark hair and pale skin as a small body tried to climb up into the dense branches above. "This isn't real. This can't be real."

"It's as real as the Fae," the woman smiled, stopping beside me. Her nose wrinkled into an almost conspiratorial expression. "Although you wouldn't know much about that, would you?"

"I don't like riddles." Somehow being in this place made me a bit more brave. I was in control here. This was _my_ dream. Even though I could still feel the dull burn from her fingers around my throat, the skin already puckering and blistering.

Slowly, she moved to sit on one of the more robust roots that jutted from the ground, looking elegant and feral as she ran a hand along it. Almost like she was worshipping it. Her eyes snapped a sharp yellow as she turned them to me. "Do you know anything of who you are? What you can do?"

My mouth thinned at the condescending tone that entered her voice, skirting around a root or two to gain some distance between us. I knew what I was. I knew that when I was nine I had killed seven people. I knew that on the playground when I was twelve, a boy tried to kiss me and I had gotten so scared, so terrified as he reached to feel the sticky sweat that coated my thighs, that my hands had reached out and that he had died. _Twelve_ , the adults around me would muse. _Twelve and he had died of a heart attack?_ The real fucked up part? I couldn't even remember his name. All I remembered was the look on his face as he clutched at his chest, me screaming, crying for someone - anyone to help. I knew what I had done - how dirty Runa Stackhouse was.

Instead, I chose to deflect. "You sound different."

A single brow rose and clumsily I tried to elaborate. "When I was little, there were women that used to come to this place. They would tell me things."

"Ah," She tipped her head back, turning to stare at the moon above. "They're all gone." I stopped moving, going still as her face grew distant, her eyes moving once more to the great tree. She looked… almost sad. All those women? All of them dead? How? They had been - seemed so powerful, the beasts that bore them frothing at the mouth and wild. Suddenly, this place, my clearing seemed cold - lonely.

"This isn't yours." The venom in her voice suddenly yanked my from my thoughts, her eyes back on me once more. "You speak - think - as if these things belong to you. How can they be yours when they are born from the earth - when they speak and move without you? What gives you the right to own this clearing? Do you take possession of the mountains and the rivers as well? Do you know of the lake that runs just a step past the tree's line? Have you caught the morning dew on your fingers when the sun drags her gown across the sky? How the berries in the tree's taste after a good rain?"

I didn't know what to say. As a child, I had taken this small clearing and placed ownership over it as any child did. My dreams were my own possession. Weren't they? A sudden spike of fear lanced through me.

A small smile curled my companions full lips. "No." It was a simple statement. One that made my throat tighten and my lungs constrict on every drag of breath. Her eyes turned wistful again as they reforcused back on the great oak. "Do you have a God? Have you given yourself over to the human world?"

But then her eyes were flicking back to me and she gave me a small smirk before turning back. "No," she answered for me. "You would be dead if you had bowed to that way of thinking. A God is a master." Her fingertips ran lightly along the bark beneath her. "We do not abide by such divine rules."

"Dead?" I gasped out, trying to draw in breath as a trickle of sweat rolled down my spine.

"The elders spoke to you of this." It wasn't a question just a dull sort of statement. "They inform every _mare_ of her duties - her role in this wretched world. Those were the women that you spoke to - although I loathe to use your disgusting, little word."

"They were women," I whispered, feeling light-headed as I stumbled into one of the roots.

" _Mare_ ," she hissed back, her shoulders raising and an unearthly purple light sparking in the depths of her eyes. "Don't use that human term for something so much more."

"I-" My eyes burned, a hand reaching out blindly to clutch at anything and grabbing along bark. "They were like me."

"Do you grow tired of always being the last to know? To feel something inside yourself and let it take you without know how or why?" Her words were sharp, cutting into me although I didn't know why. Maybe because I felt so small and lost beside her. "How long have you gone without learning a single thing about yourself? Working in some dinky restaurant, serving _humans_ while the world moves around you? While vampires and shifters and the Fae shuffle about around you - ignorant, insignificant, _you_?"

She sounded absolutely disgusted by me. At the moment, I felt kind of disgusted myself. My whole life I had been the smart one in the family. I had held my job at Merlotte's since it opened. I was one of Sam's first waitresses and I had rode out my senior and junior year in that bar, settling for regular paychecks rather than going to college. Who needed a degree when I could get an easy 900 a week from tips alone? I had Gran. I had Sookie and Jason - a family to come home to with a warm bed.

But I wasn't normal. I wasn't someone who could get away with a steady job and zero drama.

Enter Bill Compton.

"I'm getting out more," I gave a hollow laugh, trying to make the whole situation light. Didn't really work out well.

"With vampires." Was it possible for her to sound more disgusted?

"I'm not dreaming am I?" The only response I needed was the open eye roll before she focused back on the great oak.

There was a long pause, letting me take in the distant sound of birds and… My ears strained. Firewood crackling? I sniffed, catching the light smell of fresh flowers and mountain air.

"You come to her when she calls you." My eyes snapped back to the woman - mare across from me, taking in the slow rise of her breaths and the distant, almost drugged look that she had taken. "And she holds your image so that you can slide into the first - purest version of yourself."

"Who..?" My words trickled of as she tipped her head to the great oak.

"You've sat in her shadow for so long - I'm surprised that you haven't realized that a heart beats at her very core." Her fingers skimmed along the roots once more. "The elders told me of their creation - before…" Her brow crinkled, a sudden sadness washing over her face before she shook herself. "They said that when they opened their eyes it was not to the waiting arms of a mother. No. They opened their eyes in the form of maidens, cradled in the branches of this very tree. They could feel the whisper of her and they drew power from the many secrets that were given to them." Her eyes suddenly sought out mine. "She is our temple - the beginning and the end of our lives on this human plane. Do you understand?"

 _I understand that you're sort of fucking crazy._ "Yep."

A small smile curled her lips. "No. You don't." She seemed to consider something. "But you will."

Slowly, she uncurled herself from the root, straightening to her full height and I panicked slightly as the thought of her leaving suddenly kicked through my brain. "Wait!" I gulped, not fully knowing what to do with her attention once I had gotten it. "Do you know about what I can do? What's been happening to me? Can you-"

"Do you remember the last time you dreamed of us?" she cut me off. My brows furrowed, straining to remember. But I had been eight - nine? Fuck if I knew. Slowly, cautiously, I shook my head which seemed to spur a curl of glee from the mare. "Let me be clear with you, Runa darling. The Temple has become privy to the company that you're consorting with-"

"How-" I blinked in bewilderment, panic tightening my throat as I thought of all the nights that I had felt the press of eyes on my back.

"Hive-mentality," she said simply. "If we were to come together in one state, we could kill the entire populous. It's a rather nice ability to have but considering we're not stupid-" Her eyes moved pointedly to me and I suddenly had the odd image of all the Vampire rights movements on TV. Her smile grew as she continued. "- We've chosen to stay separated, imparting our rather sizable contribution to society on different continents, states, you get the idea."

"Others?" I spluttered, blinking rapidly. "There are others? Wait. You've met them? I could-"

"We have cocktail parties at the Taj Mahal on Mondays," she snapped, smirking viciously.

"I need to know." I sounded desperate. I hated myself for it.

"No," she said, sounding condescending patient. "The thing that you don't understand is that you don't. Until you find out what you can offer us then you don't need to know anything."

"Give you?"

"Mm," she nodded. "See we're very much like your little fanged crush in that aspect. The more you can do for us, the more we'll do for you."

"So you're just letting me prance back without knowing anything?" I hissed, suddenly growing angry. She had basically told me that I had done something wrong, that we were born from a fucking tree and that a lot of _mares_ had died.

The mare sighed, glancing back at the great oak before shaking her head. "I am not your keeper, Runa. I will not guide you as the Fae do their weak progencies. Mares are born of this earth and given only one rule - a rule that you are very close to breaking. Do you wish to know of your powers?" Her eyes sought mine, clearly seeing the desperate panic that was there as I nodded. "Then go out and find it. Stop playing by such mundane, _human_ rules. You are something holy - something that was risen to be worshipped. I will not lead you like a leashed animal."

So there it was. I gulped, feeling heavier than I ever had. Distantly, the wind howled through the trees. I would have to find out on my own. Not much different from how I had grown up.

"And there are far less secrets to give of the mares that remain on this earth," she said softly. "Scattered across the world, we can hear one another - sharp little voices chattering when they want to be heard. But we do not congregate. The only place that we will gather is here - when we are called."

"You said I was breaking a rule," I whispered, weakly trying not to feel defeated under so much information.

"A mare cannot be tame," she murmured, drawing a sharp nail over the side of my face. "You've be consorting with a Viking-"

"We haven't-"

"Oh fucking him would be a lot more cut and dry than the tangle that you've gotten yourself into." Her smile was cruel before settling into a blank mask as she turned away. "You will cut all ties with this rodent. You will break him."

That word - break. I flinched, thinking of such a man being brought to his knees. It was an impossible thought. It had no basis of truth behind it. Eric Northman was more than a vampire. He was more than a mere viking. He was a force of nature, so elemental that to rip him from my world was - I shook my head.

"If I don't?" The words quivered as they escaped my lips, drawing the woman to a stop. For a moment, I thought that she wouldn't answer. But then her shoulders rose in a dainty shrug.

"A bit of a preview then." Vaguely, her hand rose, flicking out before she was lost in the shadows of the trees, her voice echoing as I suddenly choked, feeling a gush of something hot and metallic clog in my throat. "The Temple has spoken. You have until the rise of the Witches."

I could barely hear her over the sudden rushing that was filling my ears. My whole body burned, my heart stutter as I tried to gulp down a thick layer of mucus and - I spit, gagging as I watched a mix of blood and spittle dribble onto the grass. What was happening to me? I gagged again, unable to keep my mouth closed as I let another gulp of blood run down my throat. I was-

"Runa!" I blinked, fighting to stand even as my knees gave out, sending my crashing to the grass.

I was dying. There was no way - But I could feel it, feel the chills shiver up my spine. Feel the sheen of sweat that was coating my sides and neck. Fighting, I rolled, choking as more blood clogged the back of my throat, making it near impossible to breath. I wanted to die. I wanted to die looking up at the stars. Tears blurred my vision as I thought of poor Sookie. She would never forgive me. I coughed, flinching as another wave of blood sloshed from my lips. Damn. This was awful.

"Runa!" But at least I wouldn't have to deal with the world any longer. My eyes fluttered shut, an endless blackness stretching out in front of me.

"It's a dream!"

I gasped, choking on air as I went jerking forward, my knees hitting the dashboard as my fingers clutched desperately at the car handle.

Where was I? The clearing? My brows crinkled, sudden anxiety crashing into me like a freight train. I had been in the clearing but now - My finger tightened on the door handle even more, feeling the solidness of it against my skin. This was real. Pale hands clutched at my bicep. This was real.

"I'm gonna throw up," I whispered, yanking on the door handle clumsily and rolling onto the gravel outside. Thank god we were already stopped. The content of my stomach went along the driveway, mixed with - "Oh my god." I gulped down an unsteady breath, shaking as I caught the glint of red among all the slosh. Shaking, I brought a hand up to my lips, blinking back tears as it came away red.

"Runa." Bill was there, crouching over me as he set a tentative hand at the base of my spine. "What happened? You fell asleep right when you got into the car and then all of a sudden right when we crossed the line back into Bon Temp you starting whimpering and screaming."

Glancing around, I suddenly realized that we were in my driveway, the lights blazing through the sheer curtains that shaded our windows. Damn. I felt weak from how much the sight of that old house made me feel.

"I -" I gulped down a breath, blinking rapidly as I took in the sting on my tongue. I had bit through the top layer of skin there. That was where the blood was coming for. Not that I was just going to fucking shake off that bitch from my dreams. No. Not a dream. There was no way in hell that was a dream. "I'm alright now. Bad dream."

When I looked up, Bill didn't look like he believed me but he still gave a nod, getting up slowly with me stiffly cradled in the crook of his arm. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad.

"What-" I stumbled, suddenly clutching onto thin air as Bill took off for the door, his brows furrowed.

"That's okay!" I called, slumping against the car for a moment before I stumbled my way up the driveway to my porch. "I got this. You go handle your business."

When I finally reached the door I realized why he had looked like a dog that had just been humped by a poodle. My sister. And Sam Merlotte. I winced. And a lot of screaming.

The way that Bill had Sam slammed up against the wall almost made me rethink the whole "puppy" Bill persona that I had created for them. His fangs bared as he gave a low his, sending Sam's head to smack up against our flower printed walls one more time before Sookie wrestled in between the two. Not exactly what I would have done but - hey! To each their own.

"HE HAD HIS HANDS ALL OVER YOU!" Bill roared and I resisted the urge to yelp in surprise as I glanced from my sister to Sam. No fucking way was this vanilla wafer getting in my sisters pants. He had been moony for her for so long that it had honestly gotten creepy.

"She's not your property!"

"Shut up, Sam. I can speak for myself." Her breath came ragged as she turned back to Bill. And I stood rooted to the spot - unsure of whether I should go get some popcorn or try to fend through the sea of testerone to try and get a scope of whose side I should be on. "You left me alone with no promise to come back and then you attack the man who's helping keep me safe?" She jerked forward like she was ready to haul off and punch Bill right in his Civil War chic nose. "HOW DARE YOU?"

"Sounds like more than keeping you safe," I whispered, deciding rather quickly whose side I was going to be on. And surprised to see that side being next to one Bill Compton. No one paid me any mind although Sam sent me an exasperated stare.

"He's helping keep you safe because I asked him to," Bill seethed, sending a vicious glare Sam's direction.

"GET OUT!" Sookie screamed and I blinked, a little lost as Bill took a weak step back.

Bill's voice was weak as he gave a shaky answer, staring down at my sister with a mixture of longing and anguish. "If you knew what I had done to return to you-"

"I rescind your invitation," she whispered harshly, following him as he took mechanical steps back, back, back, following the route that he had used to enter. It was almost hard to watch and some part of me twisted in anger.

"Sookie - don't." I wobbled from my position in the doorway as he reached me. "Please."

The only thing he got was the door slamming into place and then my sister flouncing off. I honestly didn't know what alternate dimension I had been driven into but there was no way in hell that this was my sister. Blinking, I turned a disbelieving stare to meet Bill's through the sheer blue material of our front door window. This wasn't right. She should have kicked his as to ther curb for making her look like a fool in front of the whole of Bon Temp. Hell - not telling her that he was safe and alive seemed like a good one too. But this? He had gone to that tribunal to pay for keeping her alive. For once, I was pretty fucking sure that Bill Compton wasn't the jackass in this situation.

I was staring at her.

"What the fuck was that?" I hadn't moved from my spot by the door, even as Bill stormed away, vanishing into the night. And Sam had apparently taken it upon himself to comfort my poor, fuming sister.

"Yeah," Sam declared and I resisted the urge to go and kick him in the balls, getting a mild bit of satisfaction as my sister shifted from his hold. "How can you even think about being with that douchebag? He's fucking unstable, Sookie."

"Shut the fuck up, Merlotte," I hissed, storming past him just as Sookie rounded to snarl up at the dirty blonde.

"Sam, my living room's wrecked. I've got a killer, a vampire and a shapeshifter on my plate. Right about now, I'm not thinking about being with anyone."

"Yep!" I declared, grabbing his arm and shoving him roughly towards the door. "That's about your time to leave, Sunshine boy!"

"I'm here to protect Sookie-" he started to protest, eyes wide as I gave him another push.

"Don't worry about it, big boy," I snarled, giving my best mean girls smile as I opened the door for him. "Now that big sissie is back the mean old boogie man won't set a goddamn foot near this fucking house. Coincidence that you won't either! Bye - bye!"

I slammed the door in his face and locked it before he could give me more than a light grumble before whirling around to face Sookie.

"Did you get a new fucking sister while I was away at band camp too?" I asked, putting on a false smile so bright that I actually had to blink a couple of times to keep it in place.

"Oh shove it up your ass, Runa," she huffed, storming over to sit heavily on the couch.

"Wow!" I whistled. "Things have changed since I went off to war." My eyes cut into her. "Or did you forget that Bill and I were sent to the tribunal at all?"

Guilt and fear passed over her face and suddenly I could see the sheen of tears build in her blue eyes. Ah damn. Sighing and shushing her, I went over to sit beside her, drawing her into a tight embrace.

"It's been so fucked up," she hiccuped, biting down on her bottom lip as she let out a desperate breath. "And you haven't been here. I thought - I thought -" A sharp shiver jolts through her. "I've been selfish. I don't know what I would've done if - if-"

"Sssshhhh," I murmur, stroking a hand through her hair. "I'm not. I'm here. That's all you need to think about. I'm here and I'm alive…" I took a breath, suddenly remembering the outburst that had gotten Sam kicked out. "And you need to tell me what has happened while I've been away."

Blinking away the remaining tears, she straightened, sniffing. From the look in her eyes, some serious shit had changed since I had been looked up in Eric Northman's basement.

More complications in the Stackhouse life? Yay.

* * *

_Well, someone demanded more and I am a sucker for out and out commands. If you would leave a comment for this poor, old writer I would much appreciate it._


	10. You'll be the Death of Me

Perhaps if I was younger, seeing my brother behind the Bon Temp Police Station's bars would have been a bit more traumatizing than it was. Maybe if I hadn't one time walked in on Jason eating out a policewoman that had just the day before pulled him over for speeding, I would have been less mentally unstable. Maybe if I hadn't killed a kid before I had even known that wearing a padded restraining device on my boobs would be an essential part of life, seeing by doe-eyed little brother all mopey for killing the girl that had got him hooked on V would have been more… Just _more_.

"You better move the fuck out of the way before I shove your balls into your intestines, peaches," I said sweetly, patting Kevin Ellis on the cheek roughly as my sister scurried on past to reach through the bars and give Jason a hug.

His cheeks reddened as I whirled, putting an obvious barricade between my siblings and the flustered police officer. "Imma gonna go tell the Sheriff, Runa." His eyes gave me a final plead. "He's only allowed one visitor at a time."

"Are you gonna throw us in there with him?" Sookie challenged from behind me, her shoulders squaring as she glared daggers at Kevin who visibly wilted.

Everyone was used to me being a bitch at this point. It was a very different story for my sister. Kevin was no match, throwing up his hands as he rushed from the holding area and over to tell the Sheriff.

Sighing, I finally joined my sister, reaching a hand through the bars to clasp Jason's. Sometimes it surprised me how rough they were, how the callouses felt like granite beneath my fingertips, scraping into my softer skin. It surprised me that my brother would have to perform manual labor for a living to get by - that he had to pay bills and work like the rest of us did. He was so handsome that I'm sure any older lady would have scooped him up and taken him off to some big city. In high school, the teachers and counselors and businesswomen were always the ones that he had gone after first. Now, older and without a taste for women in their sixties, he seemed to almost be lost - running through the same old brods and getting into the same old trouble.

Sometimes, I wondered if he got bored.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, his eyes cloudy and his face tear stained as he leaned his forehead against the bars. Sookie's hands shook as they reached out to smooth down Jason's dirty blonde waves. "I'm so sorry."

That was the moment that I knew that he actually thought that he was the one who had killed all those girls.

"You're a fucking idiot," I blurted out, not avoiding his eyes as they widened. "You're a fuckin' idiot if you think my brother - the same brother that glued his dick to a fucking study guide because his teammates said that the answers would seep into his fucking dick and make him get an A. They would have caught you the first night."

"You always were a raging bitch, Runa," Sookie grumbled, petting our shell-shocked brother like he was a wounded animal.

I shrugged, trying not to roll my eyes as I straightened my sea-blue sundress. Sookie had this rule that she had gotten from Gram - the only people you needed to look good for were God and a judge. I could sacrifice my tank and jeans for today if it would get her off my back.

"Better to be a bitch than some ninny with daddy issues." I stared up at my brother, narrowing my eyes. "What did you say to the police, Jason?"

Confusion made his eyes seem murky, darker than they usually were. "I - I - I had to do it right? I don't remember it but everyone-"

" _Fuck_ what everyone thinks," I hissed, feeling murderous. Sookie's hands visibly tightened around Jason's.

"I just know I did, Runa," Jason whispered and the helplessness in his eyes made me flinch away. It reminded me of when we were kids - when people would call him dumb. When I would catch him staring down at his homework or watching Sookie and me when Gram's used to put our test scores on the fridge.

Sookie's voice lowered, her hand going to clasp the back of his neck to pull him closer. "Jason, you need to shut up, okay? 'Cause I'm real close to finding out who the real killer is."

I gasped as I clutched at the bars, feeling my knees go weak for a moment as my stomach twisted painfully. Someone was afraid. Someone was _real_ scared. I blinked a couple of times, trying to shake off that sudden burst of pure terror that had just exploded through my system.

Sookie had sat down on a bench near the cell, her eyes flicking worriedly to me as she continued to talk to Jason. Briefly, I felt the caress of her mind tapping against the walls of mine. _You okay?_ I took a deep breath, my nose flaring as I tried to catch that scent again - the tang of rot and blood that signaled someone's fear. Sookie's eyes widened for a moment. _Your eyes, Runa._ Quickly, I turned my eyes to the ground, trying to calm myself as well as hide the abnormal, saveage glow that had more than likely lit there.

It was just here. I had sensed it. I had _felt_ it. But now… now that fear had disappeared. Just... _gone_. I resisted the urge to snarl. Fears weren't like that. They weren't fleeting. They stayed with people.

"So you can't really be sure he's the killer." I snapped around. Rene was here. I blinked. How had I not even realized that he was here? I _always_ knew when people were near me. Sookie had learned how to shut all those voices out years ago but I had never been able to. It had always been too stong. And more than that - I think a sick, sad part of me - the side that hadn't been touched by Gram or Sookie - _liked_ other peoples nightmares.

Sookie paused, seeming uncertain as her eyes flicked to meet mine. "I've seen what's in his head."

She had explained to me what she had found while I had been trapped with Eric. Unbelievably, she had tracked down a man who was named Drew Marshall with the help of Sam. Or more specifically, she had tracked down his ghost. Although he had lived in a town near our own, he had long since disappeared, leaving behind an open investigation for the murder of his sister who was an open fangbanger.

"Sookie, I know you wanna help me but that's only 'cause you can't accept the truth." I took everything I had not to roll my eyes. "I'm a murderer. And I'm going to hell. Plain and simple."

"You aren't hearing me! I think I know who the killer is!" Jason ripped his hands away from Sookie's, his mouth tight. "And all we gotta do is find-"

"ANDY!" Jason screamed, stalking as far as he could in his little cell to reach the door that led to the main station area. "ANDY!"

"Don't be stupid!" Sookie exclaimed and I let out a snarl as Andy came springing in.

"What's your problem?" Andy yelled, his face grumpy as ever.

"Get them out of here!" Jason growled, turning away from us.

"Jason, just listen-" Sookie tried again, reaching through the bars. I tugged at her arm, keeping my eyes on Andy as he gestured for the door.

"Let's get out of here, Sook," I said. I turned slightly toward Jason. "I understand how much you want this little fantasy to be true but it's not. If you don't get your head out of your ass, people are gonna prosecute not only you but Sook and me as well."

Jason whirled toward me, his eyes wild. "You don't know-"

"I know more than you think, Jason Stackhouse," I whispered, pushing my sister gently toward the door. My eyes wandered toward Rene who looked oddly smug. "Sook isn't the only freak in this family."

An odd, sinister glint filled Rene's deep eyes, his head tipped down but those eyes stared pointedly at me.

"Just get them out of here," Jason pleaded and Andy chuckled, reaching out to grab hold of me.

"Listen, Andy," I snapped, tearing my eyes from Rene to snarl up at him. "You may think that you can lay your hands on anything you fucking want but I can promise you that if your meaty little sausage fingers touch me, I will rip them off and feed them to my dog."

"You don't have a dog," he said uncertainty but his hand was withdrawing, letting me lead Sookie to the door on my own.

"By the good lord, Andy; you're right!" I exclaimed, glancing back at him as we neared the door. "But I did have a cat. A cat that was killed by the same murderer that killed my Gram. Who has broken into my house twice. How is that case going?"

His chest puffed up for a moment and I wanted to deflate his little balloon fast enough to send him flying into the solar system.

"And as of this moment, my brother hasn't admitted to that at all." Quickly, Andy's face fell, his attitude going from cocky to defensive in 2 seconds.

"I HAVEN'T!" Jason yelped, his eyes flicking from Andy to me, his hands clutching the bars as he pressed his face closer.

"It's still-" Andy started.

"Still under investigation," I finished for him, opening the door. "You're going 0 for 2 right now as a detective, Andy Bellefleur. If you don't shape up soon then my sister will have this solved and take your position as a detective."

"Have you gotten the fax from Bunkie police department about Drew Marshal, the man who's probably the real killer?" Sookie finally burst out, trying to shove her way back into the police cell area as I guarded the door. One Stackhouse was already behind bars and I didn't particularly like the odds of running around Bon Temp all by my lonesome trying to play detective.

Andy's face got redder than a tomato as he huffed, clutching at his belt like he was about to yank it off and try to whip us out of the room.

"Never heard of no fax from no Bunkie P.D. or Drew Whoever," he said gruffly and I noticed Rene as he turned his face away, his lips curling a bit. "But I'll tell you one thing: the real killer is right there, where he belongs."

A low hiss was all the warning that I had before Sookie went lunging for Andy, his eyes rabid. "You are one hell of a sorry excuse for a cop and a human being, Andy Bellefleur and it's just a matter of time before everyone knows it."

Ah, the charms of the Stackhouses on full display. Without Gram, we were nothing but a bunch of animals - shagging vampires and drug dealers alike.

I plastered on a bright smile, turning around so that I could try and force her out of the room with sheer force. "You have a wonderful day, detective."

* * *

When I was little, I used to call it the fairy garden. The Stackhouse house was surrounded by the woods. Most houses in the Bon Temp area were like that though, except for maybe the trailers that were closer to town. But here, all the trees were big and the forest was dense and muggy. And although I was more inclined toward colder weather, I had grown used to the white moss that tangled in the branches and the loudness of the forest as it settled and lived.

Gram always used to get the neighborhood women to come out and search for me when I ran away, sprinting into the depth of the forest with some food and a flashlight. If I had really wanted to, I could have gone far, far away from here. I could have hitched a ride with some of the spare change that I had dug out of my Grams wallet. All I had to do is wait until I was eighteen - then I could have gotten that nice, big check from my parents. But instead, I always stopped in the fairy garden. Like someone was telling me that this was as far as I should go.

And eventually, Gram had stopped calling people. She had stopped even looking.

" _My Runa's a fairy-child," Gram would chortle, setting down a tray of pancakes and eggs in front of me, dirty and smelly from a night or two in the forest. "All she needs is a little dirt under her nails and the smell of forest on her skin and she's as new and bright as a butterfly."_

I tried to shove that away, looking around at the small enclosure of trees. It was too painful to think about Gram - to think about how fucked up we were without her. I turned it away, shoveling over it like the gravediggers that had piled all that dirt over her had done. Instead, I focused on the trees.

The oaks in Louisiana were fertile in their beauty. The old plantations had them along the gravel roads leading up to their elegant entrances, all of the oaks bending toward each other in an arch - like the lithe form of ballerina's reaching for each other in some kind of fancy play. Moss feathered out, blanketing the branches and hanging down in elegant curtains. In the distance, I could hear the quiet splash of the bayou which seemed to be behind every old house in Louisiana. In the evening, I could walk from here and sit on the docks that led out there and see the clouds reflected back in that murky water.

I came here when I was little to get away from all the darkness that I felt at home. In all honesty, it hadn't helped much since I could still feel all of that. I let out a breath, circling the meadow. When I was little, there was some kind of darkness inside of me. I was violent and destructive and I wanted - _something_. That was why I had tried to run away so many times.

I had never gone far, always setting down my pack of clothes and food in this exact spot before my mind could catch up to me. I was waiting. Always. Like my body knew something that it couldn't tell me just yet. I grew up like that. Gram's little fairy child who was stuck waiting. Always standing still while all these people - all these ignorant _humans_ continued on like they were doing something with their lives when all they were really doing was chasing their own tails.

Somehow, it seemed like I wasn't waiting anymore. Like I had found something.

I took a deep breath, circling back to the middle of the area where the grass and wildflowers were worn down to dirt. Bird-foot violets bloomed in clumps around the trees along with the common dandelions and chickweed. At first, the fairy garden had been a place to escape to but over the years it had become more of a centering place. Usually, my powers were wild, running and sprouting up in random, violent bursts.

But here, in the quiet of the bayou, I could finally breathe.

My powers had always been a bit... unsettling. I threw up a lot when I got too near that darkness - the human side of me - the good side of me - recoiling at all the darkness that was outside of my door. That's how I liked to view it. A doorway that all the nightmares and heartache couldn't get through with me on the clean side, sitting there. Normally, it was all muffled. But that wasn't an exact science. Just like any other doorway, you couldn't seal it completely. You could still get a burst of air through the cracks, hear the rumble of thunder outside. But there was a little bit of protection and for that, I was grateful.

But I had a problem. My powers, when used offensively only worked through raw emotional bursts. I couldn't hone it, use it in situations where I was calm. But searching was completely different. While using my powers in compact bursts made me feel like I was trying to shoot through that wonderful, closed-door without trying to disintegrate it, searching for one specific person was like flinging the door completely open so that I could let every vile, disgusting emotion come pouring in.

It hurt and mentally draining like trying to stand your ground against a tsunami. I took another breath, reaching toward that door.

Across town, a young girl was scared of her father getting home.

" _He'll know that I fed the dog cat litter,"_ her mind whispered desperately. Unwanted, I dove deeper, flinching. Worse, she was afraid that she was a bad person. She wanted to be mean. She liked hitting the dog, watching him cower. Was she evil? Did she want to be?

I yanked back on that cord that tethered me to the well of darkness that pooled somewhere deep inside of me. Somehow, it tugged back, dragging me north - north all the way to Sourir road, where it curved around a bend and stopped, lingering at the door of Fangtasia. Eric wasn't there, I registered almost immediately. But others were. In the basement. In the dark and damp, living in filth and fear. I took a deep, quivering breath.

They wanted out. They didn't know why they were here - not yet but a mountain had come and taken them one by one. And the screams - sometimes the screams were so bad that they couldn't sleep.

I retched, shaking as I yanked myself away from that place, running away from that deep, dark pit. It was painful opening myself up to Bon Temp like this. I found out too much. I found out things that made it hard to sleep at night.

Desperately, I struggled to keep that tether strong as every instinct screamed for me to draw back. I needed to find one specific person. I needed to find Rene. Something inside of me had registered that fear from the police station. Like my mind was keeping a mental log of every fear that had ever seeped through me. I had tasted it before. When I had touched Rene, I had tasted that darkness. It was tinged with an odd kind of… joy. Like he liked the fear. Like he wanted it to keep him company.

Right now, he was… I whirled around, gasping. He was in my _house_. He was in my house alone with Sookie.

 _"What do you think you're doing?"_ I stumbled, slamming to my knees as I went blind for a moment. All I could see was Sookie, her hands trembling as she picked up the old shotgun that Gram used to keep by the fireplace. And Rene was stalking toward her like she was holding a teddy bear.

I had gone too deep. I had exerted my powers to the extent that I couldn't close the door. I couldn't even find the goddamn thing. I jerked desperately, trying to dig myself out of the hole that I had sunk into.

 _"STAY AWAY!"_ I let out a shriek, shivering as Sookie's mind went off, her fear spiking through me so violently, I gagged again, bile burning the back of my throat. _RUNA!_ It was like she was beside me, screaming in my ear.

Something inside of me sparked and lit, burning in my chest. I threw all of my strength into crawling away from my power, dragging back the net that I had cast. Sweat licked down my spine, drenching my tank.

Rene was at my house. And he had caught on. Because we were foolish enough to brag in front of him. Because he finally got Sookie alone and he wasn't going to chance his secret getting out. He would figure out how to frame someone else later. For now, he was on the hunt.

Branches tore at my cheeks and clothes as I sprinted across the narrow pathway that I had created over the years. I could feel Sookie's fear and adrenaline bursting through me, forcing me to work my legs to go faster and faster. Sweat rolled down my neck, the tang of metal coating my tongue as I burst from the tree line, skidding to a halt as I stared at the beat-up truck in our drive and the door that was flung open.

My hands zinged painfully as I forced a surge of pure power to well up there, my fingers crackling with purple light.

" _What are you doing? Get away from me!"_

"Aw, fuck," I hissed, leaning over to heave out this mornings eggs and bacon before I could get any closer to the front lawn. I clutched at the tailgate of Rene's truck, trying to force away the panic and the pale blue eyes of Rene's sister. I could feel her. Not his fear. He didn't feel any. Even now, as I could feel him sprint farther and farther away, his head open and spilling blood, he still wasn't afraid. He was - he was _enjoying_ this. I could feel her fear, the tang of it like candy on my tongue. "Not some dead bitch too." I moaned, sending out a desperate prayer to the universe as I forced myself to keep moving. "Why are you remembering this right now, you psychotic bitch?"

How could the ghost of fear still hang around Rene like this? Like he was killing his sister all over again? Better yet, why hadn't I noticed it sooner?

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ ," I snarled, rounding the side of the house at a sprint and continuing on toward the old graveyard that the town barely used anymore. Sometimes they would plop old, dead people into the ground but mainly they kept the plots to all the Confederates that had died in the war.

I was too far away. I could feel Rene and Sookie converging, dancing around each other. They were almost right on top of each other. Tears sprang to my eyes as I forced more speed into my aching legs, drawing in harder gulps of air as my lungs burned in retaliation. I wasn't going to make it in time.

 _BILL, GET YOUR SORRY ASS UP!_ I shrieked mentally, throwing all of that blind rage across the land and blasting it into that big old mansion of his. I didn't have time to think - I was rounding the corner - I was -

"Sookie! Seriously, I was just kidding." I dove behind the nearest headstone, clasping a hand over my mouth as I tried to quiet my breathing. Desperately, I reached out my mind to my sister, forcing her to stay down. _Stay down, stay down, stay down. Stay hidden._

Tentatively, her voice reached out for mine just as the crunch of boots drew closer. _No. I think he's gone. I think he's-_

"NO!" I lurched from my hiding space, tripping as my legs mewled from over-exertion.

"Mind-reading, vampire-fucking, freak-bitch!" I snarled, lunging toward where Rene had my sister. For a moment, our eyes met, a dazed sort of wonder lighting there. I could see blood seeping down the stone that she had been tossed into, her head lying against it at an odd angle.

"GET YOUR MOTHERFUCKING HANDS OFF MY SISTER!" I screamed, tackling him with all of the forces and weight that I could muster. He went down hard beneath me, dirt and grass flying up as he let out a sharp gasp. Quickly, I scrambled back, letting my fists fly as I took a cheap shot at his jaw. My knuckles cracked under the force, pain bursting through my hand as I took another swing.

Desperately, I tried to call up my powers. Nothing. A dull spark and then a sizzle like water on a match. I was done. Too much exertion.

Without my magic - well, I was just a girl sitting on top of a man who was pushing 230 and could probably bench my weight.

"Fuck!" Rene snarled, rolling so quickly that I didn't have time to do anything but eat some dirt on my way down. His full weight slammed the air out of me, one hand coming to dig into my neck as the other - I flicked my eyes to the side just in time to see those meaty fingers close around the cement bust of the Virgin Mary.

 _Stars_. I blinked, forcing my eyes open - or were they closed. I wanted them open. My brain felt like a sledgehammer had just decimated it. The salty tang of blood filled my lips. The side of my head felt wet.

"She's still breathing." Was that Sam? I could hear him but it was like I was underwater, floating along while everyone else was trapped on the surface.

"But-but her head-" a voice sobbed - Sookie. Something probed the side of my head and I heard a resulting yelp.

"We need to get Bill inside."

 _No_ , I thought desperately as real darkness crept up, muting the voices above into near-silence. _I can't pass out. I just passed out a couple days ago._ It was getting harder to think _. God, I'm such a little bitch._


	11. I'm Losing My Mind

Someone's hands are running along my body, the callouses there rough against the delicate skin of my hips. How long had it been since someone had touched me and I had actually liked it? How long had it been since I had _wanted_ someone to touch me like this?

Even though my eyes aren't open, I can feel the wind against my bare skin. I can feel the grass and dirt digging into my knees. And more than that, I can feel the hard muscles of a man pressed to my front, hands clutching my hips. My legs are wide apart, clenched around his hips and I can feel his erection burning against my bare folds. High grass roll surrounds us, a mountain visible peeking through the clouds in the distance.

"Runa," A deep voice rumbles and I resisted the urge to let out a whimper as his hands move higher, his thumbs grazing the underside of my breasts. I want him to go higher. "Runa baby, open those eyes."

I don't want to but I have to. I have to if it will force him to go higher. Or better yet, _lower_. Arctic eyes sear into mine, wisps of blonde hair falling into them.

"Not you," I moan, trying to ignore the way that one of his hands had moved to grasp at my breast, kneading it until I'm leaning into his touch, my nipples peaking. How could you hate someone so much and yet want them to fuck you into next week?

That familiar smirk curls across his face, his eyes glinting mischievously as the hand that isn't toying with my breast tugs me closer until his skin is pressed to mine.

"Ah, why do you play these games, _mare_?" he murmurs, his lips toying along mine. I shut my eyes, trying to catch my breath as he lets me have the barest brush of his lips against mine. "I know you want me to fuck you, little _mare_. You've wanted me in you since you walked into my bar over a month ago."

"You're wrong," I hiss, hating that my nipples are aching for him to give them attention. Hating that his smile is making me wetter than I've ever been. Hating myself for arching into him, one hand clutching reflexively at his bicep even as I snarl up at him.

"You want to know why you want it so bad, little _mare_?" he whispers, his fangs clicking down as his eyes flick to my throat, his thumb reaching out to rub along my nipple as the other moves down to squeeze my ass. "It's because we know each other, you and I... I know you - your deepest darkest fears and longings."

"You don't know shit," I sneer, jerking back a whimper as his hand slaps down suddenly, making my butt sting with the contact.

"I know that you're wet right now." He's smirking, his fangs pressing against those perfect lips. His hand is drifting around, sliding over my waist and then down, down, down, following the line of my thighs as they wrapped around his waist. His eyes pierced into mine, a sort of open honesty there that I've never seen before. That I've craved. I gasp, nails clawing into his shoulders. "I know that you've always wanted to be bad-"

"I'm not bad," I whisper, hurt lashing through me as I try to pull away but that rough face is still open and his eyes are trapping me.

"That's right," he murmurs, his head tipping and I groan as his hand tightens on my thigh, yanking me into him, his erection dragging against me. "You're a good little girl. Grannies good little girl that would never hurt a fly. The good little girl that always protects her siblings. The good little girl that would never fuck a vampire."

His hips roll with the last sentence, forcing a whimper from the back of my throat, my head falling back as he rubs against my clit. My fingers find their way into his hair, clutching him closer to me as I gasp, letting out noises that I shouldn't.

"I-" I resist the urge to meet him as his hips roll again, our bodies meeting in a delicious rub. "I would - would never have sex with an asshole like - like you."

"That's the spirit!" I jerk, my head snapping around to stare at a woman with long, dark hair and burning blue eyes, high cheekbones and full lips. She was stunning. Fear burst through me. She looked too much like the women that came to me in my dreams.

"You want me, Runa." My eyes rolled back in my head as his thick fingers grazed up my thighs, stroking through my folds until they circled my entrance. God, I wanted him there. "Come on, _mare_. Tell me how much you want me there."

"I-" I started, mewling as I wiggled my hips, trying to get him to dive deeper. "I want-"

"Don't you dare," the woman hissed, her back straight as she stared me down. I let out another mewl, squirming as Eric chuckled, his icy eyes burning. "He doesn't own your body. You do, Runa. You will not submit to some Viking heathen."

"It feels like he does," I gasped, arching into him with a harsh cry as one finger pumped his way into me. "Oh my god!"

"Just give in," he cooed, his free hand moving from my breast to cup my cheek. I looked at him, helpless, withering as he forced another finger inside, pumping me in a quick, hard pace. "Let me own you."

"Please," I whimpered, angry tears filling my eyes as I felt myself ripple around his fingers. I wanted more. I need-

"Not only is he using the powers that have been passed down thru your blood for his own gain," the woman hissed, suddenly vicious. "But he owns your dreams, as well. How quickly you've let him tame you."

"I'm not-" I broke off, biting down on my lip to stop the yelp from bursting from my lips as his thumb swirled over my clit. I was getting close. I could feel my body tightening.

"You are weak," she spat. "If you give your body over to him then you will die. We will make sure of it."

"NO!" I gasped, bolting forward, my eyes snapping open to the cold, dark of my room. Cold sweat drenched my body, making my pajamas cling to my skin uncomfortably. Shivers racked my body, making me feel small and weak. For a moment, I thought I was still in that grass, still pressed against Eric as he-

But no. The hospital had discharged me from the hospital after eliminating the prospect of brain damage after I got hit with a bust of the Virgin Mary. Now I was home, almost completely bruise-less after a couple days at home. Sure, my eyes were still lightly purpled and my temple looked like someone had tried to claw their way into my skull - but no psychopath trying to murder my entire family was a plus.

"Oh god," I moaned, becoming aware that I was still achingly aroused even as my skin crawled at the memory of the woman who looked just like me.

It was a clear message - maybe not one sent by the other maras but it was still there. My eyes drifted to the full moon outside of my window, casting a silvery shine over my messy bedroom. I had been warned away from becoming more indebted to Eric. But worse were the things he had whispered to me.

Clutching the covers tightly to me, I laid back down on my sweaty pillow, keeping my eyes on my window. My mind circled around the _mares_ \- my own kind. I still barely knew anything about them besides the bits and pieces that I had gathered when I had gone to the tree. I wasn't going to get it from them - the bitches. So I would need to find another way.

* * *

"Runa." I jerked, suddenly becoming aware that Sookie was talking to me. Her smile wavered as I blinked over at her, trying to look alert. Her brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"

"Jesus, Sookie," I murmured, trying my best not to look flustered. "How many times do I need to tell you that I'm completely and utterly fine?"

Her eyes flicked to the clean oak surface of my bar top. "Well, then you might want to stop pouring whiskey."

"Wha - Aw hell in a handbasket, motherfucker!" I yelped, jerking the whiskey bottle up and grabbing a dish towel as I tried to wipe up the pool over liqueur that was sloshing from its shot cup. Over the counter, Ernie, one of my usual drunk gave me a sardonic stare. I let out a snarl, baring my teeth at him. "Unless you're gonna put some money in my hands, you better stop staring at me, Ernie. Do I look like your fucking girlfriend?"

His cheeks reddened as his glassy eyes sparkled. "Actually, if you wanted to give me your number-"

"I would rather fuck a live alligator in the bayou behind my house," I hissed back, slamming the whiskey bottle beneath the bar again.

"Geez, Runa," Sookie whispered, her hand coming out to squeeze my own. "Where has your head been lately, Rue?"

Eric's abs, actually. I blanched as I tried to erase the image from my mind. It was easier not to admit to my fantasies if I pretended like they never existed in the first place. I hadn't had the best orgasm (dream orgasm - whatever) from Eric Northman, Viking vampire fingerbanging me. No. Runa Stackhouse hated Eric Northman. Runa Stackhouse would rip out Eric Northman's throat. Hear Runa Stackhouse roar as she went to battle against even the mention of his name.

"Nothing," I said quickly - too quickly. I jerked, watching in dumb silence as I bumped into the shot glass and sent it shattering to the ground. I gaped. I hadn't broken a single glass since I got here. I refused to count the ones that I had occasionally hurled at someone's head. I didn't break glasses. I cleaned them up but I never, ever -

"Oh mah gawd," Tara murmured, coming to stand behind me. "She broke a shot glass."

"She broke a shot glass," Sookie confirmed. Both of their sets of eyes turned to me in obvious concern.

Desperately, I tried to laugh it off. "Everyone breaks something once and a while in a restaurant."

"What was that-?" Sam had rounded the corner, his eyes widened as he caught all three of us standing around like we were attending a funeral. His eyes drifted to me and then Tara and then back again. "Tara, how many times have I told you-"

"It wasn't me today," she snapped, hurrying toward Andy who was currently sulking at the other end of the bar.

Sam's eyes widened as they turned to me. "You never break anything. I don't even remember you ever dropping anything."

"Oh come on!" I exclaimed, hurrying to get another dish towel. "Everyone has an off day. If everyone would get their-"

I yelped as I tripped, slamming into the ground hard. Dazed, I stared down at the disgusting, crud coated ground. I - I never fell. I hadn't fallen since - I blinked. I couldn't remember when.

"Runa!" Sookie was around the bar in seconds, her hands reaching out to steady me as I struggled to a sitting position. My mind felt like it was in a blender, my thoughts jumbling together. Eric's chuckle as he drove me closer and closer - I pressed a heel to my eyes, growling in frustration. "Are you okay?"

"I'M FINE!" I screamed, yanking away from her grip and standing on shaky legs. "Just - just everyone leave me the fuck alone."

Seething, I yanked my hair back into a tight ponytail, trying not to think of all the muck that was currently smeared all over my shirt.

"I have a shirt in the back," Sookie whispered, touching my back for the briefest moment before going back to her tables. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sam lingering.

"Listen," Sam started tentatively. "We already have Tara here…"

I stilled, halting in my effort to scoop up the glass without piercing my skin. Awkwardly, Sam's hand rubbed over his neck.

"I know it's been real rough lately - for you and, and Sookie," he continued on. "If you need to go home…"

Slowly, I looked up to meet his gaze.

For a moment, I had the overwhelming urge to say _no, fuck you very much. I'm not some weak, little daisy that needs to go home._ But… my eyes caught the lights of the Merlotte sign out front, the night dark and bottomless outside the windows. It was more than Eric. It was this whole _mare_ thing. I rubbed a hand over my eyes. I needed to figure this whole thing out. And I needed to do it in a way that didn't cause me to lose my mind.

My eyes narrowed. Bill had been… places. My lips thinned in disdain. Currently, he was the only one who might be able to get me any answers - if only because he had at least traveled outside of the Bon Temp area.

"She's not taking my job," I snapped, yanking off my apron and flinging it on the table. Quickly, I strode over to Ernie, holding out a hand.

Dumbly, he looked down at my extended palm, his eyes glazed. "What?"

"I served you so give me my tip," I snapped, turning away when I felt the crisp crinkle of a twenty being pressed into my palm. One thing to be said about drunks was that they were phenomenal tippers. I paused on my way to the back, not meeting Sam's eyes entirely. "And thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Twenty minutes later I was dressed in a pair of ripped up booty shirts in my sisters Merlotte's t-shirt. She always got the skin-tight fit so right now I felt like my boobs were about to tear the flimsy material wide open.

Little yellow bumped along Compton's drive, it's brights catching the eery hands of the trees surrounding the path as I neared the imposing mansion. From afar, I could see the lights flickering in the windows, the plantation home looking a bit dilapidated in it's old age.

I was sure that he could hear me as I pulled up, yanking the car into park and slamming the door as I got out. I didn't really want to be here. It felt a little weird being here at all without Sookie. Bill and I weren't really the come - and - see - you - to - chat kind of acquaintances. We were more of the I - have - to - speak - to - you - because - you're - fucking - my - sister acquaintances. And to be honest, I liked it that way.

As I neared the door, I heard the quiet strains of music seeping through the doors and windows. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course he was playing the piano as he waited for my sister to get off work. How else would he pass time?

The door was cracked a little to the muggy Louisiana air so I took it as an open invitation not stopping to knock as I strode into the open room that served as the main hallway. The paint was chipping from the walls and from what I saw of the rooms to my left and right, Bill hadn't given very much effort in the furniture department.

Chill air from the vents hit the back of my neck however so I was grateful for that at least.

"Runa… what a pleasant surprise." I blinked, trying to restrain my laughter as I made my way to the right which served as the main parlor. A wide fireplace occupied most of the back wall with a couple of couches cuddled around it. A piano was pushed against the other wall which was where Bill was currently sitting, a stiff smile on his face. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

For a moment, I ran through all the possible responses. One would be that I could give him the finger and watch him squirm for a bit. But… I sighed, plopping down onto the nearest couch.

"I need your help," I said honestly, regretting it instantly as I saw genuine concern light his eyes. Was this going to be some disgusting bonding moment? "You heard what Eric called me. And you know what I can do."

"Well…" he gave me a sad, half-smile. "I have to admit that you're still a matter of mystery."

"Good. That's how I get all the boys," I said absently, fingering a tassled edge of a throw pillow. "Mare. I did as much research as I could in the mundane world but… I need something from the supernatural one."

"You were wondering if I might know anything," he finished, the smile fading as he considered. I let him think in silence. "There is a vampire who knows quite a bit about other supernatural creatures. She's made it a bit of a hobby."

I sat forward, my ears peeked.

Bill's lips twisted into a sad smile, more grimace than anything else. "But it would be a danger to not only yourself but also your sister if you were to go and seek her counseling."

I flinched. If it was just a danger to myself than I would have easily made the decision. But… Sookie was already in enough trouble. Too much, in fact.

"Well," I muttered, standing to leave. "This was fun."

"I am truly sorry-" He suddenly cut off, his eyes widening a second before his front door flew open. In walked a girl that I hardly recognized, her red hair tied in two loose ponytails and her clothes closer to goth than any other style that I had seen. Her eyes flicked to me in interest before they lasered in on Bill who was looking more and more distressed by the moment.

"Hi, _daddy_ ," she quipped, enough angst and hatred burned into those words to make any grown man wince.

Jessica Hamby was back in Bill's undead life and she looked ready to tear his world to ribbons. Huffing, she skirted past me, pausing to sniff at me. Quickly, her fangs snapped down her lips tipping up into a smile.

"She smells like a nice little meal," she smirked, her eyes illight with interest. She'd obviously practiced pretty well with Eric for the past couple of weeks. "Can I take a bite?"

"Well, look who's finally got their training wheels on," I cheered, looking around in wonder. Slowly, my eyes moved up her stocking clad legs. I leaned closer to her conspiratorially, watching as her eyes widened in mild shock. She was used to people fearing her. So was I. "I was there the day you were born, honey. Don't try and pretend like you're some big, bad wolf and I'm a little lamb. I could make you beg to die."

Her mouth stuttered for a moment before she sputtered out a reply. "I could -"

"Please," I sighed, stepping around her. "Don't bore me with your unoriginal threats."

"You little-"

"Jessica." I froze at the voice, mind-numbing panic making even my mind stall out. Of course he was here. Why wouldn't he be here. Slowly, my eyes traveled up his jeans to the thin cotton of his shirt that hugged every muscle and then to the rugged face with that hard jaw and ever-present smirk. Oh my god, he was wearing a leather jacket and I was about to combust. His eyes roamed over me just as hungrily, pausing longer than necessary as they reached my boobs. "I would advise you to still your tongue. Runa isn't one accustomed to bullshitting when she is fully able to fulfil promises."

" _I-" I started, mewling as I wiggled my hips, trying to get Eric to dive deeper. "I want-"_

I gasped, shaking myself as I tried to yank those dirty images out of my mind. Blushing, I inched closer to Bill although everyone was had heard me - even Pam who had just stalked in behind Eric, her brows arching. Okay. I could recover.

"Fuck you." Shit. My voice sounded strangled and now Eric's eyes were on me like he was trying to process something particularly interesting. Oh my god, Runa. Stop thinking about him fingerbanging you!

"Always charming," he murmured, hsi eyes darkening as he gave me a predatory smile.

"Ugh," Jessica groaned, plopping into the sushions of a couch like she was in a bouncy castle. "Could you stop eye-fucking her already? It's gross."

Wow. This was seriously making things worse.

He flashed a quick smile, his eyes staying fixed to me. "I could just move on to the actual fucking if it would make you feel better."

"Ew," Jessica sniffed as I tried to catch my breath.

" _Please," I whimpered, angry tears filling my eyes as I felt myself ripple around his fingers. I wanted more. I need-_

My teeth ground as I moved even closer to Bill, trying to slowly make myself around so that I could have his whole body between Eric and me.

Bill who was still staring at Jessica like he was watching the Titanic go down with his entire family on it.

"What is this?" he breathed.

Eric's eyes snapped to attention, his brows tipping up. "Bill, there are favors and then there are… _favors_."

"She is extremely annoying," Pam clarified, nodding toward Jessica as she huffed again, slamming her boots onto surely an antique piece of furniture.

"You can't do this," Bill snarled, desperation lighting his face. "We had a deal."

"Oh dear," Pam murmured sardonically, her tone playing at sympathy as she stared at Bill.

"Yeah, well now the terms have changed. She's yours." Eric's eyes roamed to me for a moment, his smirk returning. "Unless you would like to save him as well, Runa."

I blinked. "What?"

Eric's head tipped to the side, his eyes sparkling. "I'll take her back if you drink my blood."

I instantly bulked, all of my fever dreams disintegrating as I gave over to the rage. Sookie had filled me in on that little secret a while ago when she had fed on Bill. Drinking a vampires blood would chain you to them - allow them to feel you and track you. He would know every single emotion that flowed through my head.

"Listen, you undead dick," I hissed, forgetting all earlier plans to hide behind Bill as I stalked around him to poke at Eric's chest. I bared my teeth up at him as he let out a returning growl, seeming more amused than angry as he stared down at me. "I will never, _ever_ drink your blood."

"Forever's such a long time," he murmured and I jumped as I felt a single finger play along the edge of my shirt.

"You're infuriating," I hissed, slapping at his hand as it slipped under my shirt to play along the bare skin of my hip.

"You're fucking stunning," he murmured in return, his shoulders hunching as he leaned in over me. I blinked, spluttering. No one had ever looked at me with such… raw hunger.

"Get off of me," I snapped, yanking away from him with one final glare. Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught Pam's sigh, her eyes rolling heavenward.

Eric's eyes flicked to Bill's. "Maybe you'll be able to convince her."

"What she wants to do with her blood is her own business," he said tightly, his eyes flicking to Jessica with a bit of resentment. Slowly, his eyes drifted towards me once more and I was astonished to register a plea there. "Although, if you choose-"

"You have to be fucking kidding me," I whispered.

His face pinched in shame. "A blood exchange only lasts as long as it is in your system…"

He didn't need to finish his train of thought for me to understand exactly where his thoughts were going. My breath came hard and fast as I stared down at him, rage filling me up until I thought I might burst from it. Unwanted, a spark of purple crackled at my fingertips. I knew exactly why he wanted Jessica off his hands. And honestly, it was starting to piss me off.

"Ah, I love it when she gets mad," Eric murmured in Swedish, his eyes alight. And Pam pursed her lips.

"Yes, Eric," she snipped. "A woman boiling over with hatred has always been your weakness."

"You know, someday you won't be able to hide all your dirty, little secrets from her," I hissed, anger making my words sharp. "The only reason she hasn't kicked your ass to the curb is because she doesn't know all the vile things in your head, Bill. But eventually, she'll find out."

Despair lit Bill's eyes for a moment before he was swallowing. I didn't want to be here anymore. He wasn't of any use and frankly, Eric wasn't someone I wanted to sit down and discuss my fears with. Yanking my person from the couch, I gave Jessica one final glare and stormed for the door.

"Well, this is has been overwhelmingly pleasant but I would rather eat cockroaches than stay in the same room as four undead vamps any longer so…"

A large hand enveloped my bicep, tugging me into Eric's broad chest. "Although your anger is amusing, I want there to be no misconceptions. You are mine, Runa Stackhouse. And you will drink my blood. Whether I have to force it down your throat or you take it willingly."

For a moment, I was at a complete loss for words as I stared into his eyes. How do you respond to that? Finally, I yanked my arm from his hold.

"You're fucking delusional," I whispered, hurrying for the door at a near-run. I couldn't be in this house for one more second. Not when he was looking at me like that. Not when I had so many other things to worry about other than how much I wanted to fuck a Viking sheriff right now.

Panting, I cranked the ignition and reversed my way out of the drive faster than I had ever driven in my entire life. I had to stay focused. And I definitely had to remind myself what Eric was.

It wasn't until I parked in my driveway that I realized that there was a leatherbound book sitting in my passenger seat, all wrapped up in a bow.

* * *

_Okay, this chapter was a little spicy, I know. But I thought it was waaaayyy past time. I mean, girlfriend is holding out but hey, Runa has a mind of her own so I respect her boundaries. Anyway, if you liked it please leave me a **review**. It would make my night!_


	12. Demon Cupcakes and A Leather Book

"Where's Jason?" My eyes stayed glued to the cupcakes sitting in the middle of our table, their pretty, pink frosted tops coated in sugar. My lips curled into a sneer. I hated pink. It was just a watered down version of red. Why not just like red? Now that was a good color.

More to the point, why coat an already sugary little version of a cake in more sugar? What kind of backward way of thinking was that? Maybe it was all a strategic plan to kill off us remaining Stackhouses. Diabetes would hit in a couple years and then all of us would waste away.

It was a good plan.

"Haven't you heard?" Sookie murmured, flipping some eggs from her place across the kitchen. "He's seen the holy light of God."

"Gran would be pleased," I muttered, flopping down into a chair at the table so that I could closer inspect the sugared monstrosity that was currently sitting there. "Not to sound like a complete bitch - but how much longer is Arlene going to send us her guilt cupcakes?"

"You don't have to eat them-"

"Good. They make my tummy hurt," I grumbled, staring hard at the one in the center with a sugar-coated cherry sitting prettily on top. "It's like I can taste all of her guilt in every sugar-crusted bite."

"You're a drama queen," Sookie grumbled, setting a dish of sunny side up eggs in front of me with a strip of bacon that looked strangely like a grumpy face.

"If I'm a drama queen than you're some kind of lollipop princess from some fairytale place where unicorns fly around with singing flowers or some stupid shit like that." I glowered at the glare I was getting from the top of those demon cupcakes, shoveling the eggs into my mouth.

A shrill ring bounced off the walls of our pink patterned walls making Sookie sigh and rub her eyes. Our phone had been ringing nonstop, another blabbering Bon Temp citizen passing on some new gossip or another. The murder that had occurred in Merlotte's parking lot had sent the town into a tailspin. No one could stop talking about the woman who was found.

Most of it had turned out to be bullshit but each bit was embellished upon with the same amount of vigor.

The only one with any real news was Tara who had unfortunately met the woman when she was more than a heartless corpse. But even she hadn't been able to give the police more than a few vague details.

"So… this book…" My eyes snapped to her immediately, all of my attention focusing down on the pointed glances she was sending to the leatherbound journal sitting beside my plate. In the past day or two, I had scored the few pages of handwritten notes. At first, I was looking for anything to mark who had given it to me - a signature or maybe initials but then… Then I had actually started to read some of the entries.

My fingers skimmed over the worn material of the cover, the natural brown of animal hide giving way at the corners to a lighter tone from sun and age. At first, it was just a few vague drawings - a tree standing along with the backdrop of mountains, a lithe woman with wild eyes and long hair, a footprint in dirt. Then, eventually, those entries turned into long paragraphs with scribbled notes in the margins - feverish writing marring every corner of the pages.

I had withdrawn further into myself the more I had read, catching myself staring at walls in the dead of evening or in the middle of the night like I was living some kind of nightmare. Worse, I had kept most of the details to myself, choosing instead to leave Sookie in the dark while I tried to… I didn't even know what I was trying to do at this point.

"Someone left it in little yellow," I murmured, setting down my fork as I settled back into the hardwood of the chairs. "I found it - well, it was just sitting there when I got in. It says a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff about what I am."

My eyes drifted to Sookie, her brows crinkled in worry.

"What does it say? It can't be that bad - I mean you knew about what you could do already. You've been able to do it all since you were little."

My lips thinned, something rolling inside of me. "No, Sook. According to this book, I'm supposed to be able to do more. A full-blooded mare can slither through the tiniest cracks. I can move around without even being seen. Sensing fear is the base level."

"So you're like some kind of nightmare monster?" Sookie questioned, her nose wrinkling.

I groaned, rubbing a hand over my eyes. "I don't know what the fuck I am. The writer makes it sound like - like they were some kind of ancient _animal_. It says that the Vikings used to worship them as goddesses but then they vanished - started popping up in Asia and Greece. Eventually America. They killed when they wanted to by sneaking into the nightmares of humans. But it all seems to unorganized. They don't have any reason for doing what they do. They just...are. Like wild animals rutting and killing whenever they want."

"I mean…" Sookie's nose wrinkled as she considered, tipping her head this way and that as she considered. "You said that you spoke to one in your dreams or something like that?"

I grimaced. It sounded real fucking lame when she said it like that. I nodded.

"Didn't she say that mares have some sort of hive mentality-"

Something frantic beat at my heart as I leaned forward, running an agitated hand through my hair. "That makes no sense. None. Hive-mentalities mean that you can fucking communicate as one. Does it look like I've been able to just ring them up - like hey! Sunday I'll just ring up Martha and ask her what the fuck my entire life is and why everything's a shit show?"

I took a deep breath, the room going quiet for a moment. "Martha is a horrible name."

"Yeah," I grumbled, crossing my legs impatiently. "They probably have stupid fucking names like Svelta or Yevette. Like Russian hooker versions of the terminator."

Against the wall, Gran's cat clock gave a small ding as if chastising me for my open slander of women named Svelta or Yevette. I sniffed, hunkering down. There was a whirlpool inside of me that was slowly opening up. I got my powers. I got that I could kill someone with one stony glance and a trip to their rooms. But… I rubbed my temples. There was the tree. Why did I keep going back to them whenever I was called by the other mares? Why did the last one make it seem like we were slowly going extinct?

I flipped open to the last page, scanning over the few words that were scrawled across it. " _They have come forth from the clay of the world. Born from the womb of their mighty tree they are here to rid the world of those with blemished souls. But speak not lightly of the wicked that they seek for to each mare comes a toll. To take a bridle between their teeth and allow another to hold the reigns, they are burned. And many already have felt the fires of the pyres."_

I shivered as my eyes moved unwillingly to the sketch sitting beside it. A woman screamed up to a bottomless sky as smoke ate away at her thighs and naked breasts, kindling smoldering around her as shapeless shadows roamed behind her.

"Maybe…" I jerked, pulled away from the image even as my mind rang with a distant howl. Sookie pushed at the yolk of her egg absently with a spoon, her eyes distant. "You could be only half mare? I mean it would explain not having all of the powers that the book is saying. And maybe… I mean you always go out to the woods when you need to concentrate. Maybe… I don't know. You know like all those books about fairies that Gran used to give us? It would always say that they needed to be near nature because it made them more powerful."

A few pieces clicked together rapidly in my mind. Okay. So I knew that the legend of my people was apparently that we were born from a tree - the same tree that I had been dreaming about. My eyes narrowed, zoning out as I stared into the dark liquid of my coffee. What if it was just like a communal thing? What if mares used that as some sort of testing ground? Or maybe like an enhancer - something that was so ingrained in each of us that we knew where to go. Like a guidepost or beacon that we could all hone in on.

My teeth gnawed reflexively at my bottom lip, something ticking through my brain. The tree didn't really matter. It was what it represented. The mother that had birthed us - supposedly. And it did make sense if I was only half mare. I had never even seen a male mare before - not in my dreams and definitely not in real life.

"This book makes it seem like mares are wandering around, doing whatever the fuck they want," I started trying to connect the dots as I spoke. "But the ones that I've communicated with - she said that they wanted something from me. They wanted me to show them that I was worth their time."

"What do they want you to do? Kill a cat? Run naked through Bon Temp?" I shrugged, utterly at a loss. Her nose wrinkled again, her face pinching. "That's unfair."

Tell me about it, I thought sarcastically. "But they made it pretty clear what I'm not supposed to do. Even the book mentioned something about not being tamed - or like controlled."

My sister's eyes widened a bit at the statement. "Everybody's under somebody. What are you supposed to do quit your job and say fudge you to the whole world?"

"I feel like fudge you is my whole races motto," I grumbled, taking a sip of coffee. "But I don't think it means that. I think emotionally. Like - I don't know - I can't really think of anything."

"Like love," Sookie said abruptly and I blinked, taken aback.

"What?"

"Love. I mean that's the ultimate form of submission right? Falling in love? Didn't the last one say something about God? If you were into church and believe wholeheartedly in the Bible than your first love would be God. Or maybe some other religion - Ra? Zeus? Some alien God with the power to build the pyramids?"

My head spun. How had I not thought of that? I glanced to Sookie. It had almost seemed too easy for her to pull that shit out of the air. But that did seem… right. My head cleared a bit, the pounding subsiding as a few questions went away. Not all of them but a few were better than none.

Silence ticked between us for a few more seconds before I glanced up. "That still leaves one question."

Sookie blinked. "How are you going to make them believe that you're a good contribution to their society of gloom and doom?"

My eyes flicked back to the drawing of the burning girl. "And what are they going to do if I'm not?"

* * *

My eyes roamed tirelessly over the dirt crusting my Gran's tombstone, wilted flowers sitting in the vases on either side of it. The dirt beside it was already turned, the ground dug out so that Bartlett Hale could be buried beside his sister. Nevermind that Gran hadn't spoken to him in years. Nevermind that he was a molesting bastard who liked little girls.

But all of that would be put under the ground with him. God knew that Sookie wouldn't talk about what he had done.

Just across the cemetery was the fresh grave of Drew Marshall, sitting quietly in between two sets of twins like he had been born in Bon Temp.

It didn't seem right. I glanced back to my Gran's tombstone, kneeling down to brush away all the grime. Sookie and Jason had come here just last week but… something about being here alone felt right to me. Sure, I had been raised as a Stackhouse but was I really one? I was as different from them as snow is to the sun.

Briskly, I finished cleaning up the area and headed back to little yellow. I didn't like to linger at the graveyard even on the nights when I needed to be alone with the memories I had of Gran.

Sookie had found out rather quickly about Jessica's arrival at Bill's house and also about his murder of Uncle Bartlett. My lips thinned as I turned on the engine, backing out and driving down the bumpy gravel road to the main road.

I didn't get it. I didn't get how one murder could just pick up right after another. I just wanted things to go back to how they used to be - quiet and secluded.

 _Do you really?_ A small voice whispered snidely in the back of my head. I pushed it away.

A more pressing matter seemed to be the disappearance of Lafayette even though no one seemed to be more than a little concerned. I gnawed at my lip, tapping a hand on the steering wheel as my mind swirled. A deep tug jerked at my insides, making me squirm.

Lafayette had up and walked off so many times - too many times. He would get this itch in his bones and pull out money to go to some gay bar two towns away. Or drive off in some rich, old guys car after quitting a job at some sports shop downtown. He could be gone for a few days or maybe even a few weeks but… something was gnawing at me. Something didn't feel right.

I cut the engine quickly as I scrambled to get out of my car. The whole situation gave me a sour taste in my throat. No leads for the murder or the disappearance of Lafayette.

"Lovely evening." I stopped, nearly dropping my keys as I made my way up our rickety porch steps. Bill. I tried not to grimace too much as he gave me a fake, pained smile, his hands folded in his lap as he sat stiffly in one of our rickety old chairs.

"Mm," I mused, stepping up so that I was standing a few steps away from him. "I didn't know that tonight was our designated play date? When did the social workers change it?"

Arlene's cupcakes didn't have anything on me if the grimace straining Bill's face had anything to say about it. For a moment, he struggled with politeness before sighing, his face dropping in resignation.

"Sookie has deemed it fit to proclaim this night as girl's night," he said bluntly.

"Ah." I nodded, trying not to smirk too much at the whipped expression on his face. "So no midnight cuddles? You must be devastated."

"I was wondering…" He fumbled for a moment before flashing me another awkward smile. I had the strange notion that he might be about to force both of us into a heartwarming bonding session. "I gave Sookie my car, you see and Jessica needs new clothes. I was wondering if you might accompany me to the mall."

"You can run," I deadpanned, not moving. "I've heard that vampires are rather adept at running, in fact."

"Yes but…" his brows furrowed as he searched for words. I knew what he wanted. I knew that he would be utterly lost on what to get a teen vampire instead of those dungeon clothes that Eric and Pam had dressed her in. Maybe I could have let him off the hook but… "I was wondering… I need…"

He fumbled off into embarrassed silence and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He was an absolute mess.

"Come on," I sighed, turning as I fished out my keys again.

"You - you'll come?" Behind me, I heard the scramble of wood against wood as he got up quickly.

"It's painful watching you squirm and the poor girl needs some decent clothes not whatever Amish gown you were going to get her." I waved a hand around vaguely as we reached my car.

"I thought you didn't particularly like Jessica," Bill replied bluntly, his eyes widening.

"I don't like anyone."


	13. You Are

"We could go into Hot Topic," I suggested lamely, sidestepping a pair of worn converses and the legs that were attached to them as we made our way through the upper floors of Bon Temp Mall. A group of teens had taken up residence leaning against the glass railing, all craned over the dreaded teen's phone. Apparently, they had claimed the whole aisle as their own since their legs were sprawled out like they were in their living room.

He noticeably grimaced when he saw the small shop, darkened with a harsh cement floor and black walls, grunge clothes and anime figurines covering every available surface.

Displayed in the window was a mannequin with fake bite marks at her jugular, a t-shirt with a bottle of True Blood formed to her perfect, plastic body. The fact that she was headless made it more than a little unsettling.

"Yes…" Bill said slowly, his face deepening into a grimace as he stared in dismay at the shop. Someone screaming drifted from the speakers inside followed by a heavy guitar riff. "I am sure that's where all the newborn vampires go for their undead fashion choices."

I wrinkled my nose, trying to picture Eric strolling in to pick out a choker and some heavy, spiked boots.

"Another store then?" I sighed, moving farther down the aisle and almost colliding with a teen with shocking blue hair and her earbuds in. The look that she gave me probably would have sent most of the girls she went to class with fleeing. "Does it ever weird you out that there are kids out there born every day who are living normal lives?"

"Yes. The process of childbirth is mind-boggling." I glanced over, not knowing if he was trying to make a joke or being serious. As it was, I didn't have time to figure it out since he was quickly moving toward a store with so much zebra print that for a moment I stalled out having flashbacks to the lion chases on the discovery channel. Oh no.

"Bill," I snapped, jogging to catch up with him as he stalked toward the entrance with singular intention. "Bill!"

The glare from the sterile lights lining the ceiling made the neon pinks and greens seem horrific. It was an ordinary teen spot filled with a pre-teen section that eventually shaded into high school with a fluffy section in the back for prom dresses.

"You can't possibly want to get her stuff from here," I hissed as I finally caught up to him, already eyeing a tribal print tank top.

Startling blue eyes met mine, obvious bewilderment darkening them. "Why ever not? They have blouses with ruffles and jeans without those ridiculous rips in them."

His eyes moved pointedly to the ripped jeans that I was currently wearing. I frowned, resisting the urge to stomp on his foot. Could he be any more of a grandfather? Was that the thing that appealed to Sookie? That he could still give her erotic sex with a touch of cynical disapproval? It had to make for some hot foreplay.

I rubbed at my temple, taking another long glance around. The last time I had seen Jessica she had looked like some kind of dungeon mistress. This shit wouldn't fly with her. I winced as I caught sight of a terrifying display of seafoam blue skinny jeans with a bright pink crop top just within reach.

"Okay," I breathed, trying to find some semblance of calm. "Okay. Not everything in here is awful. I'm going to go find some decent clothes and you - you'll… ugh… find shoes?"

"I can find shoes." Bill nodded, his brows furrowing with determination. His eyes briefly softened as I started to rustle through the dress section, trying to distance myself from the neon area. "I really do appreciate this, Runa. I know that we've had our differences but this is a great help. I am in your debt."

For a moment, I continued slowly sliding shirt after shirt away on the rack, mulling over my next words.

"You tried to save my sister," I finally said, not looking up from my search. But my word cracked unexpectedly, making me blush. "When she was being attacked you went out into the sun. I may not trust you, Bill but I respect you for trying to take care of Sookie."

My eyes met his for a brief, serious moment. At one point, I had wanted to rip his throat out with my bare hands... but for the most part, he had always risked his life to save her.

Quickly, I tore my eyes away from him, clearing my throat as I hunkered down back into my search. "Don't get some ugly, colonial shoes. Girls these days like fuck me heels or some nice combat boots."

Without another word, I moved away, jumping to another rack of clothes but distantly I thought I heard him sniff: "Ah, yes. The infamous fuck me heels. Quite classy."

It was a tiring task to basically decide the entire wardrobe of a seventeen-year-old vampire. My sister and I had been shopping on the discount rack since we could walk. Gran had taught all of us how to scavenge with the best of them. But this was a mammoth undertaking and by the tenth rack my stomach was growling and my back had started to give little barks of agony from how much I was bending over these clothes.

A good hour later, my feet were starting to seriously hurt and my eyes were getting unfocused from how many different prints of tribal I had had to look through. How many of the same outfits could this girl have? Could I just go back to the tank top section and get a million of those peach, loose ones? Would she hate me for that? I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to endure more of this without going crazy.

"I didn't take you as the white lace type." I gulped at that voice, my breath stilling in my lunges as I slowly turned. Six feet and five inches of smirking Viking greeted me, his eyes glittering with that sly amusement that I was growing used to. Slowly, he leaned down, his eyes flicking to the lacy dress on top that I had picked out.

It looked like something that my Gran would approve of so I knew for sure that Bill would. It had been one of the safer bets since I had tried to throw in some slutty skirts and crop tops for the poor girl.

Deliberately, a long finger came out to run along the buttoned front. He had leaned in so close by this point that I could see the blue in his eyes, how it swirled into lighter greys and even whites in some areas. I gulped, trying not to let all of the heat show on my face. In fact, I was trying rather hard not to let anything show on my face.

"I was under the impression that you were more of a black lace kind of girl," he murmured and I didn't miss the way that his eyes flicked to the top edge of my bra that was peaking out of the loose tank I was wearing. Slowly, the side of his lips curled up, his eyes darkening.

My teeth ground against the gut reaction that being around him caused me. "You would be wrong," I snapped glaring up at him. Slowly, a brow raised in quiet inquiry and I licked my lips, conflicted on what to do with him randomly popping up in my life like this. Was it relief that I felt? I glanced up at him once more, catching sight of the way that his eyes seemed to almost darken, deepening even as his smile remained in place. Slowly, my eyes moved farther up, catching sight of the strands of blonde hair that were combed away from his face.

"Your hair…" I breathed, reaching up without thinking to catch hold of the loose wisps falling over his forehead. When I had last seen it, his hair had been nearly to his shoulders. Now it was all shorn off, leaving bristles at his nape. His eyes swirled to a deeper shade of greys as he stared down at me and I became all too aware of how close I was to him.

"Do you miss the old me, pet?" he whispered and even that was too intimate like we were trapped inside a bubble of time that didn't belong to anyone else. At this moment, I couldn't remember why I hated him so much. What had he done to make me so angry with him? "I was rather under the impression that you would find this look more… human? Longer hair seems to make me look-"

"Like a barbarian," I finished, catching the twinkle in his eyes. "Which you are."

"Ah," he murmured. "It's always nice to pretend though. One of the reasons that I allowed it to be cut so short is the thought that this would make you more... _comfortable_."

"I highly doubt that any of your decisions are influenced by me." I stared up at him dubiously, letting the silence drag on for a moment before I looked away. "You thought that the length of your hair would make you any less of a Viking?"

"Strange that you would choose that instead of vampire." His fangs flashed as he gave me a quick smirk. "No. I thought that all good little southern belles enjoyed something a bit more...tame. Proper ladies don't like wild men with long hair."

That was the third time that he had paused like that before using a word. Like he was trying to find an appropriate term for what he wanted to express. Like he was speaking in a foreign language. If I could have slapped him and gotten away with it, I would have. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, bringing up a hand to his chest in the hopes that he would move a bit away from me.

He didn't.

"Proper ladies don't negotiate with vampires," I sighed, trying to feign boredom even as his smirk made me want to flirt a little back - give in to a little bit of fun. What would he do if I went along with this little game of his? Take me to Fangtasia? I stopped breathing. Bite me?

"You're thinking about something interesting." I jumped, dragging my eyes away from Eric's full lips to his icy eyes which were alight with interest. His body bumped against the stack of clothing that I had in my arm, trying to crowd me even more. Slowly, his head tipped to the side, smirking. "Tell me."

"I-" My lips felt chapped, something odd fluttering in my chest. "It's nothing."

Slowly, Eric inhaled. "You're lying." I kept my mouth shut, dropping my gaze to the floor. He was right. I was thinking about him biting me. I winced. I was thinking about the naughty dream that I had had about him. "I could glamor you."

I jerked back at the words, startled into dumbly staring up at him. Slowly, his hand raised, a single finger skimming along my cheek, his eyes intent.

"It would be so easy." Something about his eyes made me take in a shaky breath, shivers running up my spine. "I could make you do anything I wanted. I would never have to bargain with you again. You would do what I said when I commanded it and you would _enjoy_ it."

Nervously, I swallowed, my breath growing shallower and shallower the more he spoke. Like my body was registering the threat of a nearby predator, trying to hide its presence. Eric's eyes were intent, his focus somewhere else as they moved down to my lips.

"I could make you kneel down and beg for me to take you," he whispered and a little part of me quivered in fear. He could. Some part of me knew that even though I was a mare, that wouldn't save me from a vampire's glamor.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Fear was heavy in my veins, my muscles tense as I waited. At first, it had been a joke but… somewhere along the lines that had changed. It had turned more towards a one-sided debate. And I was afraid to make any sudden movements. Afraid to draw any attention.

His fangs flashed for a moment in a snarl, before he was pulling away from me, frustration clear in the deep rumble that grated out of him. Confusion and relief pumped through me in a blinding wave nearly bringing me to my knees. Whatever battle that had been fought inside of him was over and - for whatever strange, wonderful reason - he had decided to leave me as I was. Unglamored. Strange.

"Where's Bill?" Eric growled, his eyes flashing icily as they roamed around the store. A small child in the corner flinched away.

"You're not going to glamor me?" Why had I asked that? Mentally, I wanted to wring my own neck at my stupidity.

He let out a small grunt of annoyance. "I am… _fond_ of you."

He sounded anything but thrilled at the revelation.

"You're not fond of anyone," I blurted out before I could think better of it. Was he? Maybe Pam. Sometimes he didn't even seem all that thrilled to be around her.

His eyes met mine for one confusing second. "Which makes it all the more unsettling."

With that mind-boggling statement, he turned away, making his way swiftly down one of the aisles to the back where the changing rooms were. For a moment, I didn't move, trying to digest everything that had just happened. Mind-numbingly handsome Viking vampire? Check. Near glamor? Double-check. Shopping for a vampire teen? I was either going to hell or heaven for all the karma points that I was wracking up.

Eric's legs were a lot longer than I was accustomed to. Usually, my height made me the one ahead but with him, it was a fight to catch up. Especially with all the clothes that were overflowing from my arms.

"Ah, there's our prince charming," Eric mused and I nearly collided with the broad expanse of his back as he slowed. Slowly, his hands slid into his pockets as he strolled forward.

"And here I thought that I was special," I quipped and his eyes met mine, his lips tipping up.

For a beat, he stopped, his neck craning down and his shoulder hunching in as he drew nearer until our lips were almost touching. Briefly, his eyes dipped to take in my lips before moving lazily back to my eyes.

"You are," he murmured and I couldn't catch my breath quick enough as he straightened and strolled away like nothing had happened. _Bastard_.

Flustered, I stared at his back as he walked farther and farther away. He did this on purpose. He had to. And why was I reacting like this? Maybe because it was different - _this_ was different. Without the veil of anger, there was… something else there. Something that made our conversations seem less volatile and more… I shut the thought down, hurrying after him. I wasn't going to think about this. I didn't need to and I didn't want to.

"Good evening, old sport," I heard Eric rumble as I finally caught up, catching sight of Bill at a rack just in front of the women's dressing rooms. Standing right in front of him was a wily haired bottle redhead, fingering a jeweled denim skirt like she had just ripped it off of her own body in a French burlesque show.

How did Bill get so many girls? Was it the vampire thing? Maybe he was actually charming and I was just not getting it.

Bill's eyes widened and then narrowed as he took in Eric. "Eric?"

"It's the new me." I rolled my eyes at the statement.

"More like the mask to hide the demon," I muttered, fingering a strap on one of the tank tops that I had draped over one arm. His eyes twinkled as they met mine before turning back to Bill, one brow quirking.

"You like?" I rolled my eyes heavenwards. Anything to fluff up his ego.

An amused smile curled Bills' lips as he played along. " I do. Very much."

"Ah," Eric mused, tipping his head a bit to catch my eyes. "At least someone does."

"I never said I didn't," I answered immediately and mentally groaned at the arrogant tilt of his lips.

A loud laugh drew both of our attention to the redheaded sales rep. "Oh! Okay," she gave another laugh as she backed away, looking like she had just avoided something that would have been a life-altering mistake. I glanced at Bill. "Whew!"

Slowly, she backed away, hands coming up in surrender before she was rushing off to another middle-aged man in the prom section. I glanced at Eric and then back to Bill, his expression one of utter confusion. On the other hand, Eric looked like a cat in front of a caged bird.

"Why wasn't I in the equation?" I mused, feeling a little bit offended as I stared after the woman. It was obvious that she had thought Bill and Eric were gay. But - come on. I had been standing right there.

"I'm sure we could fit you in," Eric rumbled, his eyes dark as I felt a large hand skim across the exposed skin at my lower back. I gave a snarl, wrinkling my nose.

"I would rather eat roses," I snipped, moving swiftly out of his reach and to Bill, who was still looking out of his depth.

All traces of humor evaporated from Eric's face as his gaze slipped from Bill to me and then to the space between us. I glanced at it too, gauging how far away he was. At least a foot. I frowned. That wasn't too bad. Not a ton of space but not bad at all.

"We need to talk." Eric didn't wait for a response, turning and making his way swiftly between the aisles and to a deserted section at the back of the store.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Bill whispered, his eyes staying firmly on Eric.

"The man's a mystery," I mused, watching as the Viking paused next to a lilac dress, his long fingers skimming over the material. His eyes flicked to me for a moment before he was moving it back onto the rack with a frown.

"The Sheriff of Area 9 in Texas has gone missing," he said bluntly, moving closer until he was towering over Bill. "Had you heard about that?"

I blinked, taken aback. Vampire sheriffs weren't something to be messed with. Before Sookie had started to date Bill, I had known next to nothing about the vampire hierarchy but after Eric had come into the picture and it became clear that we weren't going to be getting out of the whole blood-sucking business, I had done some research. In all honesty, very little is actually known about how vampires operate. A vampire spokesperson here or there and some general agreement from all vamps made it seem like there was a light version of our government but without any real hardcore structure.

But when you get below the surface, that's when it gets a little bit dicey. Their sheriffs are usually recognized to be in that position by doing something impressive enough to allow them to be granted the title. It wasn't a small jump from there to assume that the sheriffs needed to be older and stronger than most of the other vampires in their zones. No one was going to listen to someone that they could beat - especially vampires.

So, if one of them just up and disappeared… that was a problem.

Bill's face was drawn in an expression of tentative surprise. Eric didn't call meetings just to gossip. " I hadn't, but I - I know of the vampire of whom we speak. His name is Godrick, correct?"

Something flashed across Eric's expression but it was there and gone so quickly that I couldn't catch it. "Indeed."

A strong hand came to the small of my back, Eric's eyes intent on Bill even as he gently steered me towards another secluded section of the store as a couple walked nearer.

"Now it goes without saying that he needs to be found." Briefly, his eyes met mine before he was looking at Bill again. "Which is where Sookie comes in."

"What?" I growled, yanking away from his hold so that I could glare up at him.

"No," Bill snarled and I inched closer to him.

For his part, Eric didn't look surprised at all. He merely carried on like we hadn't said a damn thing. "As she's yours, I'm asking your permission to take her with me to Dallas."

"I thought we had an agreement," I hissed, feeling something gnaw at my gut. His expression betrayed nothing as I stared up at him. This was why I was always so angry with him. He was an untrustworthy brute who wasn't loyal to anything. I bared my teeth. "You said you would keep her out of this."

"I would not be asking for her unless I absolutely required it." Eric's eyes swept to Bill who looked murderous. "We made a deal, your human and I. That if I didn't kill anyone, she would work for me as often as I like." Unyielding eyes froze through me as his eyes caught mine. "You both did."

"Taking her across state lines is a far cry from taking her Fangtasia for the evening," Bill snapped, his eyes hard.

"I'm only asking your permission out of respect," Eric said slowly. "If I wanted her, I could simply take her."

Ice froze my insides at the words, something twisting painfully in the pit of my stomach. Why did that make me feel so awful?

"You're a bastard," I burst, anger making my words sound raw. His eyes met mine for a moment before they were back on Bill all traces of the earlier teasing gone.

"Is no your final answer?"

I could almost hear Bill's teeth grinding as his jaw worked. My muscles tensed in apprehension. Disobeying Eric was like choosing not to feed an alligator. It was fine as long as you left their cage in a hurry but you might as well kiss your ass goodbye the next time you went in.

"I could do it," I murmured, forcing myself to sound calm. "We already had an agreement and -"

"I have information that places him within a religious camp in Dallas," Eric stated bluntly, his eyes running over the swell of my breasts as he spoke.

I waited. That wasn't a reason for me not to go. "Which would make my job all the easier."

A deep snort was all I got as his eyes flicked around and then came back to me. "You would stick out, mare. The type of people at this camp are one type of human and you, my pet, are not that type."

" _I can be_ ," I hissed, trying desperately to persuade him. My eyes searched through his. There was something else there. Something that looked a lot like - "Are you scared for me?"

Eric's lips thinned at the words, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Despite your most desperate attempts, Runa _Stackhouse_ you are _wild_. I can _smell_ it on you-"

"They're not vampires," I argued. "They won't-"

"They _will_ ," Eric snarled and I flinched as his fangs flashed as he drew closer to me. "You aren't like them, Runa. Going in there would lead to you being captured as well."

My eyes stung at the words. I wasn't like them. I knew that. I forced my eyes to the ground to try and hide the pain that I was sure was so evident within them. I knew that I wasn't like Sookie. But did he have to say it like that?

"I go with my sister or we don't go at all."

"Runa," Bill snarled and I startled, suddenly remembering that he was there. His eyes betrayed the bewilderment - the anger. He didn't understand how I would have conceded Sookie along with myself. But I don't think that he even fully understand the kind of man Eric was. He would get Sookie to go to Dallas one way or the other. And I was a little afraid of what the other entailed.

Bills jaw tensed as he turned fully on Eric, his eyes hard. "Sookie will not go to Dallas with you, Eric."

The look in Eric's eyes were cold enough for me to stop breathing for a moment. Whoever this Godric was, there would be no forgetting about his disappearance. I swallowed thickly, glancing away as a sympathetic smile crossed Eric's face.

"Poorly played, Bill," he mused, shaking his head a bit as he slowly moved past us toward the exit. Briefly, his hand came up to tug at the tight ponytail I had in, his eyes twinkling.

"He's not going to let it drop." I finally forced out nearly twenty minutes later when I was sure that Eric was nowhere within the mall. Still, my eyes flicked around in a quick check, taking in the mill of pre-teens that had entered the small store.

A muscle worked in Bill's jaw. "I know."

"Who is this Godric?"

Serious blue eyes met mine, his arms folded tightly across his chest. "I don't know."

Great. So we were at a serious disadvantage.

"Can we just-"

The words lodged in my throat suddenly as Bill's hand engulfed my forearm, jerking me closer to him as his head snapped to the side. Clothes scattered across the floor.

"What the hell-"

"Sookie."

I didn't get any warning before I was being bodily yanked over his shoulder.

* * *

_Please REVIEW! Reviews save my life and honestly, I've been in a little bit of a funk lately so I would really appreciate them._


	14. Scratches

There was something oddly comforting about sitting in the back of old yellow out front of some poor humans house while they screamed bloody murder inside. My eyes flicked over the darkened windows of the little two stories around us, each one separated by a picket fence like in the movies. My eye twitched a little as it caught sight of a pair of poodle statues guarding the front door of the house directly across from the Hambys. Or at least, I was assuming it was Jessica Hamby's house.

It'd be kind of weird if she just broke into some random persons living room with my sister closely in tow.

Normally I would have been all over a situation that involved Sookie to this extent but right when Bill had kicked down the door and glamored both Jessica's mother and sister - Well, I thought that he might have had it under control.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" I stared down at my fingernails as the sound of shuffling feet and Sookie's apologies met my ears.

Honestly, I was surprised that none of the neighbors heard all the yelling. My lips thinned as I caught the silhouette of a little kid peeking from the curtains of his room. It was almost like they… didn't care. They had surely heard Bill kick down the door. So then why-?

"I'm fucked." I blinked over at my sister as she slammed into the passenger seat, through my rolled down window I heard Bill's voice softening out. It was odd hearing him talk like that - like he was speaking to a child. And there was a weird rattling in the back of my head. Wide, dark eyes met mine. "She fucked me."

"When exactly did it feel like a good idea to bring a newly formed vampie back to her over-protective, Christian parents?" I wanted to gain some clarity on this. Maybe if I understood a little bit more than I would feel more inclined to defend her when Bill came back and started tearing into her.

"I know," she whimpered, turned around fully into her seat to stare at the busted in door of the Hamby house. "I just - All I could think about was Gran." Her eyes met mine, deep and desolate. "All we have are these memories and - and it's _nothing_. Gran isn't anything but a memory and we're just - just here. Just here without her. But Jessica - Jessica still has her mom and her dad. They're still here and why - why would I tell her that she can't see them?"

Something painful stabbed at me, making me turn my face away to stare at the deep dark of the street ahead. There was almost no lights on this road - an odd thing for a suburban street.

"It was stupid," I finally whispered. "But I understand. I - I don't know if I would have been able to do anything else."

I tried to force away the sobbing, terrified picture of Jessica that was swimming through my mind. Her last moments were confusing and terrifying and - and I had been there for them. I probably wouldn't have even been able to tell her to just watch instead of go right up and knock.

"GET IN!" The door beside me slammed open suddenly to admit a hiccuping, frazzled Jessica. Curdled blood tracked down her cheeks, fangs peeking out from her lips every time she let out a bellowing wail.

Briefly, her crystal blue eyes met mine before she was curling into the corner of old yellow. I was more inclined to do that as well as the whole car shivered as Bill got into the front seat. Even unable to see his face, I could tell from the way that Sookie recoiled into the seat that his face was thunderous.

I had never particularly favored being the audience to a full-blown couples fight. And, trapped in the back of a car moving at increasingly dangerous speeds there were very few options on escape.

We turned a corner sharply, picking up to near-suicidal speed in our rickety car. Old yellow wasn't a race car. She wasn't even really an average car of average construction. That was on full demonstration as the trunk was making a disturbing rattling.

"Um, Bill honey," I started sweetly, trying not to wince at the resulting snarl that I got. "Could you maybe go down to like 80 - 70?"

The whine that old yellow gave as we sped up was enough to send me fumbling for a seat belt. Funnily enough, I was never a fan of high speeds. It made me nauseous. And right now I was feeling that at full blast as we bumped onto one of the many dirt roads that would lead us past Shreveport and deeper into the bayou.

Given the tough girl exterior and overall bitchiness of my attitude, that came as a particular surprise to some of my biker boyfriends of the past. It became more of a turn off the more they tested me - especially since every time usually ended in my last meal splattered all over their motorcycles or - worse - leather jackets.

"Bill, slow down!" Sookie had never had the same problems as me but from the wobble in her voice, I could gather her uneasiness. I gagged a little as the gravel road got rougher and the car bounced mercilessly. "Runa's turning green!"

I shook my head, tears stinging at my eyes as I tried to reign in my gag reflex. I was really regretting those french fries from McDonald's before our shopping spree. Whatever the magic words were to get through to Bill they obviously didn't concern me.

"Please!" Hysteria was evident in Sookie's voice but I couldn't look anymore. If I saw the trees and road blurring around us any more than I was going to lose all the content of my stomach. "You're scaring me."

Ah, yes. Only the threat of Sookie's fear would be enough to get her to stop. I yanked open the door as we slammed to a stop, not getting farther than a step outside of the car before everything in my stomach was in the dirt. My nose and eyes stung as I gagged, coughing a few more times before spitting. Gross. Oh god. I was going to have to walk or risk throwing up again.

I shut my eyes for a moment, still crouched over the mess at my feet. How many times had I thrown up my lunch since Bill Compton had come into our lives? I felt like it was a lot. Softly, I heard my sister's voice trying to soothe Bill into a more comfortable state.

"She is a vampire!" Bill was snarling to Sookie. Lamely, I wobbled back to the open car, slouching down into the back seat as my head gave a swirl of relief. At least one part of my body was content. "She has no family."

I leaned over to spit one final time as Sookie's eyes met mine, her eyes wide with worry. I shook my head, taking the bottle of water that was lukewarm from a couple of days in our glove compartment. Yuck. I still took a swig, spitting it out into the grass. Jessica was yelling by now, her words halting since she was still sobbing a little.

"I HATE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH!" She screamed, her teeth bared as she stared down the back of Bill's head.

"Be quiet." Something about Bill's soft tone made me more nervous than when he was full on yelling.

"EAT SHIT!" She screamed petulantly, leaning forward more, her shoulders tensing.

Bill whipped around, his eyes cold and hard. "I SAID BE QUIET!"

A small huff forced its way from Jessica before she was curling back into the back corner with me, her eyes water and red from unshed tears. Those same eyes blinked over at me now and for a moment, we shared an exhausted stare.

"You undermined my authority as her maker. You risked those peoples safety and your own." His voice was rough with anger and with each word my sister tightened up where she sat, her throat working. "If I had not glamored them to within an inch of their sanity all of our lives would have been shattered."

"I know! I'm sorry!" I winced. A lot of times when we were growing up our Gran would have us only apologize and not explain. Explanations made her even more enraged. If there was an explanation than she made it seem like it undermined the apology. Right now, in the heat of the moment, it only infuriated Bill.

"You KEEP SAYING THAT." I winced at the ferocity in Bill's face as he stared at Sookie. At that moment, I could see all of his years on this earth. "And I am expected to WHAT? Forget this ever happened?"

"What else do you want me to say?" There was a pleading tone to Sookie's voice that made me think that she wanted to honestly know. I took another swig of my water, slouching down in the car even more and turning my gaze to the woods beyond. Honestly, there was no reason why I should be here. If it wasn't for that stupid shopping trip for- "I knew when she asked me to take her I should say no but all I could think about was Gran and what I'd give to see her again."

"That does not give you license to behave like an irresponsible CHILD!" If I hadn't know Sookie so well then I would have been able to plainly see how much that name hurt her by the way that she reeled back. Sookie hadn't been a child since she was born. She had gone through just as much as I had. "She is a loaded gun, Sookie. Not a doll for you dress up and play with!"

Sookie's door slammed open suddenly and she was out within the second. I bit my lip, taking another gulp of water. She was like this sometimes and - Well, she did better on her own. My eyes scanned over the windswept trees all around us, the deep of the bayou beyond seemingly impenetrable. Slowly, my eyes flicked from the vampires to either side of me. Not the best place to be alone.

"What are you doing?!" Bill yelled after her, his face deeply lined with irritation as my sister stomped away. "Don't be ridiculous! Bon Temp is nearly 20 miles away."

"I'd rather walk all night than spend another second in that car with you!" With that, my sister whirled away, not caring if Bill followed her or if she was leaving me in the back like a forgotten purse.

I was only slightly surprised when Bill got back into the car. Not many men prided themselves on running after angry females. But… I stared out of the window, catching the blur of a shadow out of the corner of my eyes. A fine mist was starting the gather on the ground, giving the trees a ghostly lean.

One moment ticked after another, making my stomach turn with more anxiety the more time passed.

"Listen," I sighed, leaning forward. "I'll - um - go and get her. She probably just needs to… fume a little."

The only response I got was a stiff nod from Bill and an open eye roll from Jessica beside me which I fully agreed with.

It was easy enough to catch sight of where Sookie had gone off to. It was one of the only cleared paths on the side of the road. And she had never been exactly quiet even when she had wanted to be. Her shoes were snapping twigs left and right.

"Sookie!" I called, jogging up to meet her. "Sookie, wait!"

"Can you believe him?" Sookie seethed, not looking up from her mad trample through the forest. She was nearly glowing with anger.

"Just-" I yanked on her arm, stopping her. "Just calm down. You both just need to - I don't know. Take a breath."

She stared up at me definitely for a moment, her eyes blazing. I took a demonstrative breath, letting it out slowly. Unwillingly, she followed suit. One in. One long one out.

"I just - I mean I get it," she finally whispered, her eyes dropping to the leaves at our feet. "What I did was stupid? But I just wanted her to have that - to get that final moment. Just one more second with the people she loved. Even when she ran to the door, I was a little bit glad. I mean because of me-" She gave a light sob, shaking her head. "It was just so unfair for her."

"She likes her vampire life better," I murmured, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly. "Her human life was cold and unforgiving and she was lonely. Now - weirdly enough - she might get to... _live_."

A poof of air burst from Sookie, making me smile. "Dammit. You're right. Why are you always right?"

"Eh." I shrugged, letting go of her. "I'm pretty fucking awesome."

"Yeah," she mumbled sardonically. "Especially when you blew those chunks."

"Assh-" I stopped, freezing as a low snarl pierced the silence of the woods. Slowly, our heads turned to take in the choppy path behind us.

"What the fuck?"

A gangly figure stood in the mist, clearly visible over the hazy white that came from the road just beyond the dark of the trees. Thickly, I swallowed, catching sight of the feminine curves and the thick fingers that seemed to lump into sharp points. Atop its head sat wide horns. It was too dark to get anything other than the impression of wild hair.

"Run," I whispered, fear making my blood sing. "RUN!"

We both took off at the same time, cutting around a fallen log and following the path. It had to lead to a main road or maybe even a tavern. My mind raced, my arms pumping as my legs gave a quiver of agreement, moving just as fast. Would we even be safe in a crowd. I ducked beneath a low branch. Soon, I was ahead of Sookie, my legs long enough to carry me forward with no problem. I panted, sweat starting to build at the nape of my neck.

Behind us, I could make out the guttural snorts and scraping sound that came with whatever the fuck was following us. And by the sound of it, they were fucking fast.

 _We need Bill_ , I thought suddenly, desperately, surprising even myself. A shrill scream sent me whirling, gravel hitting my shins as I kicked up dust. Sookie whimpered from her place on the ground, her mouth opening and closing like a fish that had been dragged to land. Across her back, three distinct gashes bled freely.

"Okay," I breathed, my hands zinging as they lit with purple static. Fear twisted my insides as I caught the whiff of rotting flesh and mud. Standing over my sister, the creature cocked it's head almost looking amused. "Let's dance, bitch."

I lunged forward, nearly getting slashed in the face as it swung, moving with a lot more agility than I had anticipated. I held my breath, nearly dropping face-first into the dirt as I tried to avoid another quick swing. All I needed was one good touch to any body part and I could drop it - if I wasn't so scared, I could have -

I cried out, reeling as claws slid through the top layer of the skin at my side, digging in to yank away a good chunk of skin.

I gasped, choking back a scream as my mind tried to work through the level of pain that was coursing through me. In a last-ditch effort, I kicked out, hooking my foot around its ankle and yanking hard enough to send it stumbling back.

"R-runa." I choked, fighting to catch a breath as I felt dirt and pebbles force their way into the mangled flesh at my ribs. It was pain so near unconsciousness that I could barely process anything else.

Desperately, I tried to force myself up but only collapsed where I was, face-first into the dirt. My fingertips zinged sporadically, fighting with me as I tried to do anything but lay there in the dirt. Was this it? Gasping like a fish in the gravel as the slimy creature leaned over me.

"G-get - get away from her," Sookie spluttered. Some distant part of me roared, desperately at the sound of her voice. I needed to get up. I needed to protect her.

But thinking things and actually doing them when you're lying in the dirt with a huge, gaping hole in your side and a freaky horned-woman-beast drawing closer to you are two very different things.

My vision flickered between darkness and misty light like a lamp that was being flicked on and off by a bored kid. I couldn't force anything more than a choked gasp from my lips as thick, slime-covered digits clawed into my hair, arching me up with a force that sent my back snapping. Uselessly, my hands hung paralyzed at my side and I wished desperately for unconsciousness.

The angle forced the gaping holes in my side to stretch and yanking wider, some more dirt and small twigs jamming into the mangled mess of my insides. I wanted to scream. Worst of all, I wanted to cry, sob for something greater and stronger to _help_ _me_. It was a foreign, humiliating urge.

"I haven't seen your kind in centuries." My eyes rolled back in my head at the guttural whisper, that comforting darkness hanging so close. Anything to stop the pain. Anything that would push me closer to whatever end came with this.

I choked, spluttering bile and thick, sweltering foam as my lunges gave out, burning from the effort as bile rose into the back of my throat.

"Hm." Wind whistled through the trees as I struggled to draw in a solid breath of air. My eyes rolled madly, focusing. The lights were back on and I was staring into gaping darkness like the end of the universe. _Bull_. I blinked, gagging. _Horns and darkness._

"Where are your sisters?" Bile and foam ran thickly down my chin, dribbling down my neck. Blurrily, I made out the creature's head tipping to the side like she was listening and then there was the distinct sound of her tongue clicking in disappointment.

"It's a shame that we don't have more time to catch up," I finally did scream as three distinct claws burrowed into the flesh of my shoulder, pus and slime building up at the edge as they sunk further and further in. "But I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. Our kind always did love to play with each other."

My throat grew raw from the pure force of my wail as those claws curled beneath my skin, dragging up so much skin and muscle as they slowly pulled out.. Pain and fear beat quickly through my brain - so much that that was all my world was made of for a few moments. There was nothing else but the feel of being torn open and dumped back into the dirt like a useless plaything.

Whimpers filled the trees and it took me a moment to realize that that was me. Those sounds were spilling from my lips.

"Runa-" My eyes rolled, unable to fully close while there was still a chance that that thing was going to come back. Sookie lay just a foot away, her words shaken and pain laden even as I heard the struggle in her voice. Like she was trying to drag herself to me. Her mind reached out and then recoiled like the pain she found there was too much for her to touch again. I sobbed the sound halting and half baked like I couldn't even get up the strength to cry properly. "Runa, please - please answer me."

"SOOKIE!" The sound of snapping twigs reached me just before I heard my sister being turned, a wail dragging from her. Cold hands stroked down my face and I spit out some more foam and vomit, my face covered in it. "Oh my god, Runa."

"Bull," Sookie choked out. "Bull - human. Could - couldn't see."

My eyes flickered shut - or maybe they were open. It was so dark. I gave another scream, spitting up a bit as I was turned and the wound at my shoulder got a shower of dirt and pebbles. I was on my back looking up at the ever darkening sky.

* * *

"Runa, open your eyes." My eyes were open. I coughed, dragging in a breath. "Runa, you need to stay awake."

I was awake. That was the problem.

* * *

"Her hearts still beating."

The sky. I couldn't see it anymore.

Now it was just broken clothe and stuffing. A ceiling? A car ceiling. Why did they make car ceilings out of cloth like a ottoman?

Lights flickered through the windows.

"Runa, you can't go back to sleep. Shit. Her hearts slowing-"

If anything my heart was beating too fast.

Make it stop.

* * *

"What happened?" Eric's voice. Eric would have helped.

I let out a short wail as cloth met the open meat at my shoulder and side. I was laid out on something cold and hard in a room that was cold enough that I was shivering.

"Runa-" The lights went off again, my mind fading into darkness like a light trying desperately to splutter to life but failing miserably. 

* * *

"... got the worst. It looked like she tried to fight-"

"And it did this to her?" Someone was mad. Someone was very, very mad. Cold hands skimmed along my arms, ending at the hem of my shirt. "Give me some scissors."

* * *

Someone was screaming, I realized distantly. Someone was screaming and for once it wasn't me.

Lamp light made the red of the wall seem soft as my eyes slowly adjusted to being fully focused. The pain was still there but it wasn't as bad, just sizzling and constant like the flow of blood that had seeped to wet the cloth beneath me. Cool air tickled my skin and I realized dizzily that someone had cut away my top to allow full view of my wounds.

Sookie. I jerked, snarling even as my body rejected the action with a shiver. Sookie was screaming. And I wasn't going to let this bitch get away this time. My fingers crackled as I turned, trying to get a handful of hair or skin so that I could take this lady down.

"Runa." Iron circled my wrist and I choked down a cry of agony as whoever held me lowered it back to the hard mat below me. Serious, blue eyes met mine.

"E-Eric," I choked out, flinching as my sister gave another scream, desperately my eyes searched for her but my head wouldn't turn. I had used up most of my energy trying to claw whoever was torturing her to shreds. Eric was seated at a chair just next to my head, his hair slightly disheveled and his eyes dangerously hooded as they moved over my injuries. "Doctor?"

"Your sister is being treated," he reassured and I dimly registered that he was speaking in his native tongue to me, a strange comfort. His eyes grew dark and serious as they moved to take in the mangled flesh at my ribs once more, the skin puffy and pus-smeared. I gulped, trying to force some saliva to wet my throat.

At another scream, I finally was able to jerk my head to the side enough to catch sight of my sister. I immediately regretted it. Her skin looked just as grotesque as mine, the flesh around the gashes running the length of her smile deep and bubbling with inflammation. It looked… slimy. Slimy just like mine. My stomach crawled as the squat little woman sitting on a stool beside her in baby blue scrubs snapped on some gloves and then started to dig around in my sisters open back.

Instinctively, my fingers crackled to life, a warning look from Eric the only thing that stopped me from trying to jump the doctor once more. Behind me, I heard Bill gasp and jump as well. I was unable to see his face but I could only imagine the anguish there as Sookie's eyes met mine.

"Are we - are we dying?" Sookie swallowed once and I winced as I saw the pain flicker there.

"Yes." the doctor answered immediately, staring down at the goop covering her fingertips.

"NO!" Bill snarled but his words were less sure as desperation sunk into them. "She cannot die. You will save her."

"Back off, vampire," the small little lady responded, clearly unfazed and used to these types of threats. My head spun uneasily, shifting like a boat rocking in the middle of a storm. "Let me do my job."

"Forgive him," Eric drawled out, his words belying the stormy look in his eyes as they stayed fixed on me. "Bill is abnormally attached to this human." There was a slight pause that I nearly missed as my eyes gave up the pretense of focus and rolled into the back of my head. There were clouds at the edge of my vision that I wanted to chase. "However, doctor you will save this one here. No negotiation."

A snarl shook me back to the present, making me aware of a cool hand rest at the base of my neck, rubbing and supporting all at once as the doctor turned her attention to me. I couldn't help the whimper then. She had brought Sookie pain and she would bring me pain as well. My eyes rolled desperately, a sick fear making my intestines roll.

"I've always wanted to perform a miracle." She snapped on a new pair of gloves and before I could fully react, she was digging a finger beneath the outer skin and into the oozing mess of torn tissue beneath. I gulped down a breath, my lungs trying to work while the rest of my body seized under the pain, a wet squelching sound following her as she dug a little deeper and I could feel the imprint of her nail scrape along my insides. "We don't have a lot of choices, they've both been poisoned."

My lips moved wordlessly through the pain, lights popping beneath my eyes like fireworks seen from behind a blanket. Her finger curled inside of me, the skin there popping as she dug up some of the pus coating my injuries. I panted, shivering uncontrollably after that onset of pain.

"Breathe," Eric whispered, his fingers moving higher until they were massaging the hair at the base of my skull. Silently, I nodded, trying not to let the dizzying shock and agony show on my face. I didn't want her hands on me again.

My eyes met his, the blues there swirling to grey as he surely saw the plea. Please don't let her touch me again. His lips thinned, an odd sort of agony showing for a moment before there was cold again and he was shaking his head discreetly.

"You ever heard of Komodo dragons?" I blinked, not even fully processing what was being said. "Their mouths are teeming with bacteria. After one has bitten you, it will track you for hours - days just waiting for the toxins to slowly eat away at your nervous system 'til you're good and helpless. Then it will devour you alive."

Beside me, Sookie whimpered and I gurgled out a breath as the doctor's fingers skimmed along the top of my mangled, rotting flesh. This was a new level of pain. I had never - my mind couldn't even fully wrap around the amount of agony that was coursing through my system.

"We were scratched by a dragon?" my sister choked out and I relaxed a little as the doctor turned once more to her, her rolling stool squeaking.

"No," I whispered, searching dizzily for Eric's eyes once more. "Three fingers. Claws. Hair. Bull - human. Female."

Eric's eyebrows drew together, his hand tightening on the nape of my neck. "What did its face look like?"

My vision blurred for a moment, going back to that horrible moment when it had dragged me to it. "Dark. Darkness."

"No," the doctor said thoughtfully, drawing a blue vial from her bags on the floor and then turning swiftly back to me. "But this posion is similar and way for efficient. I don't think I've seen it before but it's hard to tell without further testing and we don't have that kind of time." Her eyes met mine over the rim of her glasses and for a moment she paused, a brief lapse of sympathy there before it disappeared completely. "This one here has suffered severe injuries and even with the eradication of the poison - well there's still a chance that she'll die."

I bared my teeth in a grimace, something savage and angry clawing up inside of me. Dying without even getting my hands on that filthy creature would be the last thing that would happen. The doctor's eyes flicked briefly to the sharp points of my teeth before she uncapped the vial and leaned forward. Eric's smile was grim as he stared on.

"You won't die," he murmured in Swedish. "We don't die."

"Give us some privacy," the doctor murmured, her eyes all business again as they flickered over my injuries. Slowly, Eric got up, his eyes never leaving mine, a dare lighting them. Daring me to die. I gritted my teeth, breath quickening as he moved out of sight and I was left staring at the liquid swirling in the bottle held so carefully in the doctors hands. "This will get ugly."

Beside me, I heard the murmur of Bill as he crouched over Sookie. He was apologizing.

She did it before I could even look back, her hands deft as they held me down with one and poured tipped the bottle over my exposed wounds. Liquid, scorching and acidic trickled down into the raw tissue. At first, I didn't scream. I couldn't. My eyes blinked unseeingly up at the ceiling as something dark and wonderful opened up for me. My mouth opened and closed, my throat constricting around the sound that wanted to come out. I was dying. I was going to die. Eric would win the dare.

" _Another one?" Was it them? My sisters? Yes. My mind silently supplied something like comfort working through me as I felt them crowd around me in those endless moments. "How?"_

" _Maenad," another voice, silky and soft in the darkness supplied, some inner fury reaching me._

" _They've been hunting us to extinction," the first one snarled. "When will we fight back? When will we stop the slaughter of our own people?"_

" _Soon, sister, soon."_

Dying? I snarled, something inside of me growing furious at the accusation. I wasn't going to let those bitches see me die. My fingers crackled, all of that anger making me lunge for the doctor's throat. I would rip out her heart before I would let her drive me to death. I would _kill her_.

"Be still." My hands slammed back to the mat, bracketed above my head. Painfully, the wound at my shoulder screamed out. Blond hair fell around me, the sea engulfing my vision. I snarled, baring my teeth up at Eric. "If you kill the nice doctor, you'll die, darling."

"Keep her still!" I did scream this time as I the liquid returned, my skin sizzling and bubbling beneath the acid. All thoughts of living fled as it continued, on and on like time was stopping and would never return. I blinked, surprised to feel tears slide down to my hairline at the action.

Briefly, Eric's eyes flicked away from mine, his face pinching before smoothing back over as he met my gaze again. "Be strong, Runa."

A second later I knew why he had said that. Spindly fingers clawed through the bubbling mess at my ribs, digging into the flesh until they could pinch onto the flaps of skin and squeeze. I wheezed, gaping, my eyes rolling. This was - my brain stopped for a moment, pinning me there in that moment for an eternity. I was going to remain in this for the rest of my life.

Wordlessly, Eric murmured to me, his forehead coming to rest cooly on mine even as his fingers kept me pinned in place. I screamed, guttural, animal sounds tearing from me every time her fingers dug into me and pinched.

"Turn her over." I wept, openly, freely as Eric did just that, realizing distantly that he was trying to be gentle. I didn't care. Distantly, I heard a bottle being uncorked as Eric settled beside me, holding me down at my elbows.

"Please, not again-" I sobbed, not caring that I was begging, not even realizing that I was speaking to him in old Swedish. My eyes met his as he hovered over me, the agony there tearing into me. Slowly, he leaned down, his forehead resting softly against my temple.

"This will keep you alive, you beautiful, infuriating creature." It didn't sound like he had meant the words to reassure me.

I didn't get much time to think about it as the bottle was tipped again. This time all I could do was weep, choking and gagging as unconsciousness hovered right out of my reach.

When it was done, Eric didn't let me go. And I didn't pull away, too exhausted and shocked to do anything but breath through the puddle of tears that I was in. Sookie's treatment was almost as agonizing as my own. Her screamed twisted through me like a knife. But even if I had been able to paste together more than a few vague strings of thought, I didn't have the energy.

Finally, silence filled the main room of Fangtasia and Eric raised his head from mine, his fangs visible as they scanned over the bloody mess beneath me. I should have been afraid. Instead, I just felt exhausted.

"You can give them blood now," the doctor informed us, already packing away all of her tools. "Their bodies should accept it."

Instantly, Eric's hand swept to his lips, his fangs ripping into the skin of his wrist before I could even say anything. One massive hand swept the sweaty, grimy tangle of my hair away from my face, cupping the back of my head to turn me more fully.

"Drink," he murmured, nudging the bloody mess of his wrist to my mouth, a gush of blood smeared across my lips.

Exhaustion made it hard to think straight but I could still process the consequences of drinking any of Eric's blood. He could track me. He could invade my dreams. I kept my mouth shut, staring blankly up at him.

"Drink, dammit," he hissed, eyes flicking to take in the extent of my injuries once more. "Without my blood, these wounds will scar."

I kept his gaze for a few more seconds before turning away. I wouldn't drink from him. I would rather carry these reminders than let him have this small victory.

"My blood will only stay with you for a week at the most." Was that a note of pleading. The tangy metal smell of blood tickled my nose as he waved his quickly healing wrist in front of my face. "You infuriating girl," he snarled, turning away from me with a sneer, his eyes striking in their fury.

I closed my eyes, darkness quickly taking over as I finally relaxed, my side and shoulder pulsing dully. I slipped into sleep.

_Hey, my little cinnamon buns! So I know things are a little crazy right now with this virus but I just wanted to emphasize the point of coming back to the things that we love and just not letting the fear and uncertainty ruin everyday life. We still have so much to be thankful for and I for one, count you guys among those numbers._

_So yeah, I hope that this chapter brightens your day_


	15. The Man in the Cellar

It was the screaming that woke me up although my life had been filled with a lot of hysterics as of late so when I opened my eyes I felt more resentment than alarm. The second thing that woke me up was the overwhelming pain that was spiking through my back and shoulder. I had shifted in my sleep and now the leather was pressing against the raw skin of my bare back.

"TAKE ME TO HIM!" That was Sookie. I blinked, fighting back a yelp as I struggled to force myself into a sitting position. Groggily, I blinked around at the little alcove that I was shoved into. Fancy silk pillows and a plush, thick knit blanket was tangled around my legs. I had been moved into the far corner of the bar, into a darkened, more secluded section.

On a small, glass table near my little bed was a scarlet shirt - Ugh. Fangtasia merch - with a pair of black underwear.

 _For the pain,_ a small note in heavy script read beside a bright orange pair of meds and a water bottle.

A scream pierced the still air of a slumbering Fangtasia, bouncing off the walls and right into my pounding brain. This was going to be a rough day. Stifling my urge to scream, I hastily got dressed and popped a couple of pills. Hopefully, they were also dosed with something to make me pass out in a little bit.

 _You should have taken his blood,_ a small voice whispered to me. _Why didn't you?_

I gulped down my own self-loathing and shuffled my way across the bar, clutching onto tables and chairs as I rounded the corner to the area just in front of the front entrance. And… no Sookie.

"Shit," I muttered, looking around helplessly. From a bit away, there was the sound of a door creaking open. "That can't possibly be good."

I struggled forward, following the distant shuffles and sounds of whispered voices. I felt like I was intruding on this place - Fangtasia - like I was a child rummaging through someone else's property.

"Uncuff him!" The stairway that I found was hidden behind one of the backdoors and I recognized it from when Sookie and I had first been introduced to Eric. I had felt misery and pain when I had first come here and now it was still here - only distant. Like a shell with nothing inside.

"I don't have that key!"

It was dank and dark and it smelled like piss and rotten bile and mold. A dungeon is what most people would call it and as I made my way slowly, painfully down the stairs I got the impression that that was what Eric meant it to be. Even Vikings needed somewhere to store all of their enemies.

"I'm gonna get you outta here." I had reached the last flight, low enough to peer into the dark basement beyond where the spritish, blonde who had been so hysterical on that first encounter with Eric was currently being held at gunpoint. By my sister.

"Runa!" Sookie exclaimed as if she was surprised to see me. Her face glowed with a merry light, her wounds obviously healed. I grimaced, clutching onto the railing as a flood of clammy sweat dripped down my sides. Even the pain meds weren't enough to stifle how bad my injuries actually were.

"Runa?" the blonde fangtasia worker demanded, a hint of hysteria making her voice shrill. "Oh no. You're supposed to stay in bed. Eric told me specifically-"

I stared at her quizzically for a moment before turning back to my sister as the lady rambled on under her breath.

Sprawled out beside Sookie was-

"Layette?" He looked like shit and he smelled even worse.

"Eric's had him down here," Sookie spat out, her face twisting in rage.

You find your friend in some vampires basement that you already kind of hate, feelings are bound to be on the murderous edge. They're supposed to be. As I stared at the chapped, grimy face of one of my longest friends though all I could think was -

"What did you do?" I blurted it out before I could even think - the question boomeranging around the vast basement.

That wasn't the right response. I could see it from the way that my sister's face tightened up even more and Layfette's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" Sookie snarled, her hands clutching at the gun until I thought that she might break it. "He's in Fangtasia. Eric owns Fangtasia."

"I know who owns Fangtasia, Sookie," I snapped, scanning over Lafeyettes clearly battered body. He had gone through hell and from what I had sensed not too long ago from this place, a whole lot of other people had gone through worse.

"Listen, I don't know-" Lafette started but I could tell that he was trying to be brave. His shoulders were hunched in defensively, his eyes wide and twitchy.

"See?" Sookie demanded petulantly and for a moment I had a flashback to when we were seven and she thought that the tooth fairy was real.

 _See?_ She had yelled, pointing to a wad of ones just beneath her pillow in place of her missing tooth.

"Sookie," I breathed, trying to contain my irritation. "Eric wouldn't just go out and grab some random nobody-"

"Hey!" Lafeyette protested and I shot him a glare. Yes. Because being popular with vampires was the preference in this situation.

"And haul him back to his basement torture chamber just _because_. He's not-" I stopped, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Why was I defending him? When had our relationship tipped to this side?

 _He's never given you a reason to doubt him,_ that same voice from before whispered.

"He's not _what_ , Runa?" Sookie shouted, enraged. She jumped up, her cheeks reddening. "Cruel?"

I didn't say anything. She already knew my answer by the drawn expression on my face.

"Because HE IS," she went on, gaining ground. "Why didn't you take his blood last night, Runa? If he was a nice guy then wouldn't you have been just _overjoyed_ to be completely healed?"

I flinched, my stomach sinking. The wounds on my back pulsed, turning all the regret and strange, unsettling feelings that were pulsing through me into words.

"He's not a monster, Sookie," I whispered. Those words were true. I had seen the way that my pain had unsettled him last night. And I trusted him. For better or worse, I _trusted_ _him_. My eyes drifted to where Lafayette shivered on the floor. "What did you do, Lafayette?"

Beside him, Sookie spluttered out incoherent words of protest. I wondered what Bill had said to cause such rage to build inside her towards Eric. It was surprising - my sister wasn't the type to hold grudges this strongly.

"I-" Lafayette's dark eyes flicked around like a deer that had been spotted by a hunter. "It was just-"

"No!" Sookie snarled. "You aren't at fault. You don't deserve this. _No one_ deserves this - to be chained like an animal in the darkness, sitting in their own waste!"

"He's a Viking, Sookie," I said, keeping my eyes trained on Lafayette. He reeked of fresh fear. "His ways aren't like ours."

"His ways are _barbaric_ ," she hissed and I shrugged. Barbaric and Viking translated to roughly the same thing in my book. "Who the fuck are you? He is a vampire, Runa."

"Bill's a vampire," I snapped. What the fuck did that even mean?

Sookie's cheeks reddened, her hands waving. "No. There are vampires and then there are _vampires_."

"You're not making sense," I snapped, growing tired of the conversation and I turned quickly to the blonde. "Hi, you. What's your name?"

"You're not supposed to be up," the blonde replied dumbly, picking at her hands frantically.

"What's your name?" I snarled, my patience snapping under my sister's continued glaring. It looked like I was going to be due for one of Sookie's lectures.

The blonde replied quickly in the face of rage. "Ginger."

"Well, Ginger." I smiled. "Since you don't have the key to our friend here, I'd say that Eric does. Could you call him up?"

Ginger's eyes went babydoll wide. "Oh, Mister Northman'll be here in no time anyways. The suns going down as we speak and the blonde one's vampire is probably already waking up. He's in a casket in the back."

"Bill's here?" Sookie perked up and the general lack of aggression made Ginger relax a little.

"Listen, this is all dandy and shit," Lafayette piped up, jangling the chains that were still firmly in place around his wrists. "But I'm still chained up."

"We'll get you a drink-"

"Oh, Mister Northman isn't going to like that," Ginger whimpering, curling into herself.

"And some food," I finished, turning to hobble back up the stairs.

"So we're just going to leave him here?!" Sookie shrieked and I rolled my eyes.

"You've got to be fuckin' kiddin' me," Lafayette groaned.

"Unless you have a fucking chainsaw to get those chains off him then I think we'll have to wait until your best friend gets here," I snapped, clutching at the railing.

"More like _your_ best friend," Sookie snarled but I heard her start to make her way after me. "I bet you're going to suck his dick-"

"These hookers are about to leave me in a fuckin' dungeon," I heard Lafayette say with heavy disbelief.

"I bet he has a very magnificent dick," I mused, thinking about the chiseled planes of his chest and how tall he was. The man was hulking already.

"You're disgusting."

"We already know where Lafayette is," I sighed as I reached the cellar door. "We aren't leaving without him."

"Are you sure your little Viking won't demand that he stays down here?" Sookie bit out.

I thought it over, reaching the top of the cellar doors. "There's a possibility. But Eric rarely gives up a chance for a favor. I'm sure we can offer him something."

"Oh joy," Sookie groaned. "More debt."

"LOVE YOU, LAFAYETTE!" I called back down, finally noticing that the little blonde was still down at the base of the staircase, biting at her knuckles in anxiety. "Come along Ginger!"

"FUCK YOU, BITCHES!" Lafayette screamed and I heard the rattle of chains. "YOU HOOKERS BETTER NEVER ASK ME FOR SHIT!"

I sighed. Lafayette rarely said things that he didn't mean. Sookie gave me a smug glare.

* * *

Sookie wouldn't even sit with me when we got upstairs. So I was left to sit at the bar by myself as Ginger attended to Lafayette. She didn't want to be anywhere near Eric when he came in although I was sure that she had already told him about our findings in his basement.

"Sookie," I called, toying with the bottle of pain meds that I had grabbed from my sleeping area. It had been only an hour and I already wanted to take another pair. Sweat beaded at my temple and even sitting was a study in agony. It felt like my body was rejecting my very own skin, the muscles pulling at the flesh stitches that had begun oozing this morning. Now sweat was trickling into the raw wounds, adding to my pain.

"Are you going to ignore me?" I felt feverish, the whole world cottony. My eyes stung as the urge to sleep beat down at me.

My sister didn't turn, her back straight and stiff. She could be a real pain in the ass when she wanted to be.

One of the back doors behind me burst open, Bill rushing out with a gleeful light in his eyes. His eyes were firmly glued to Sookie who turned just as he bound through.

"Yep," I sighed as they rushed together in a fierce hug. "I'm alive too."

Sookie pulled away from the embrace, her eyes narrowing. Yeah. I might as well not even talk. It was obvious that my existence was about as important as the bar stools at this moment.

"Are you still angry about our fight?" Bill asked, obviously confused by her coldness and I leaned back in my chair, watching the exchange closely. So that's what she had been stewing about for the last hour. "Sookie, none of that matters anymore."

I snorted. If anything about this morning and last night had taught us, it was that the petty problems that Bill and Sookie had experienced last night didn't really matter.

"You're right." Oh, it wasn't a good sign at all that she was agreeing with him. I stared down at the pills jingling around in my little orange bottle. Two more wouldn't hurt, would it? Just for today. Just to take off this stabbing pain. "I'm alive and in one piece." Sookie's voice grew venomous. "Unlike my friend Lafayette who Eric chained up like an animal and left to bleed to death."

My stomach cramped and I realized that I needed to eat something. I bit at my lip. I couldn't take another dose. For some reason, it just wasn't taking the pain away.

"What?" I heard Bill question, bewildered. I didn't look up but I could feel his eyes burning into my head like I could make it better.

"You better not have known anything about this, Bill Compton," Sookie barreled on. "Because if you did, I don't think I could ever forgive you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Eric's familiar scent of crisp, frigid sea air and fir trees, surrounding me before I turned and caught sight of his imposing figure as it stalked into the bar. His eyes drifted around in mild amusement, that infuriating smirk in place.

"She's referring to the human in my basement." Those arctic eyes drifted around lazily before settling on me. I stilled as he stalked toward me, his eyes intent on the bottle in my hands. Gently, he took it from me, his lips thinning as he eyed it. "How many of these have you had?"

I avoided the question. "What did he do to get placed in your basement?"

Eric gave a sigh, showing his obvious boredom at the whole situation. "He traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood." He quirked a brow, jingling the bottle of pills. "How many, little mare?"

"Four in the last three hours," I finally whispered and he gave a low growl in return, glaring down at me. For some reason, in the wake of his obvious disapproval, I felt embarrassed. "The pain isn't going away."

His eyes went stormy, his fingers tapping at the pill bottle thoughtfully.

"His name is Lafayette," Sookie snarled, jerking forward even as Bill reached out with a steadying hand to her forearm.

"Lafayette broke the law," I snapped, snapping around to growl at her and ignoring the slight widening of Eric's eyes. My sister's gaze was murderous. "You've seen the healing effects of vampire blood first hand. If this gets out then there will be vampire meat shops in every city."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" But she wasn't talking to Eric. She was talking to me, her eyes deep pools of anger and agony. She despised herself for allowing Lafayette to rot under Fangtasia for this long. She despised herself for not knowing and saving him sooner. My sister was gentle. Things like this wounded her so easily.

My sister was gentle. That was why it was so shocking to me when she took another step closer, her teeth bared in an ugly snarl. Her shoulders were tense.

"How could you sit there and defend this _monster_?!" She demanded and my lips thinned.

"He's not a monster," I whispered, trying to ignore the hulking man behind me as he shifted as if he was shocked.

"He kept our friend - YOUR friend - here for _weeks_!" She took one more step forward. One more and she would be within striking distance. My eyes drifted to her face. No. Not my sister. She would never do that to me.

"Sookie," Bill whispered softly and I saw alarm in his eyes as he watched her approach.

"How can you be so callous?" she snarled and for a moment I saw real hatred in her eyes. I didn't let the hurt show on my face.

My eyes locked on hers. "You know the consequences that would come from the distribution of v. Vampires would be drained just for their blood." My eyes moved to Bill - her precious Bill. " _Your_ vampire would be hunted and hung for just a drop."

"Don't you dare bring Bill into this," Sookie breathed and her hands clenched at her side.

"Lafayette brought _every_ vampire into this when he decided to sell their blood illegally," I whispered, trying to reason with her. "This is so much more than just a friend. Or just a random sell of blood. Did he even vet the people that he was selling to? How much did he tell them? You need to understand-"

It happened so fast. Too fast for even me to fully grasp. One moment I was staring into my sister's eyes and then the next, Eric was in front of me, my knees pressed to his back, his shoulders bulging as he restrained my sister. Her hand was still raised, her teeth bared. He shoved her back roughly.

"Don't you ever raise a hand to her again." Eric's voice was chilling, his body tense as he watched Bill drag her back. His jaw was hard, his eyes holding an eerie gleam. "If you allow your human to strike at her again, I will break you."

"YOU WILL LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW!" Sookie snarled, lurching against Bill's hold.

"Sookie, that is enough," Bill hissed, yanking her back once more as she tried to jerk free from him once more.

"No!" Sookie snarled. "It's not _nearly_ enough. They've _tortured_ him and _bitten_ him and _shot_ him and kept him down there in his own filth for weeks."

Bill's eyes widened and I stiffened. I hadn't seen any bullet wounds or bites. I hadn't gotten close enough. But… I suppose it wasn't surprising. Still, my heart sank, a sick twisting making me nauseous. Eric's eyes flicked to me briefly but he didn't move from his stance in front of me, his mammoth size blocking Bill and Sookie from me.

"Is this true?" Bill breathed.

"There are others who would have done far worse and you know it," Eric bit out, his hands clenching even as his tone hinted at a bit of condescension.

"You're going to let him go right now," Sookie snapped and I winced. That wasn't the way to talk to Eric if you wanted something. "Or I swear, I'm going to the police."

A low hiss was the only warning I got before Eric was stalking forward, his fangs clicking down. Quickly, I scrambled down from my stool, grasping his wrist quickly in an effort to stop him as he snarled down at my sister who jerked back, fear making her eyes wide.

"Eric," I whispered, fear making my heart beat unevenly.

"I do not respond well to threats," Eric growled lowly, his eyes livid as he stared down at my quivering sister. "And the only reason I don't tear your little human heart out is because you are Runa's sister and she has worked _very_ hard to keep you and your brother alive."

"I-" Sookie rasped out, her eyes flicking uncertainly to me. I shook my head. Now was not the time to try and get out whatever she wanted to say.

"For that reason and that reason alone, I will allow you to live." His jaw slowly unclenched, a smile replacing it although his fangs were still clearly visible. "I'm sure that an arrangement can be made that would benefit both of our interests."

Nervously, I swallowed, not meeting my sister's gaze. Her actions were still at the forefront of my mind, stinging. And I had a sinking suspicion of what Eric wanted.

* * *

_Ah, the days are starting to go by slower and slower! The first week was cool but I'm the type of person that needs to get out and run and do work and kind of scrunch my time to feel comfortable. IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY, GUYS!_

_How are you guys doing? What are you doing to pass the time? I feel a bit like that show on netflix where you're put in a room and they drop you off a box of crayons and some coloring books to get you by. It's like... The Circle? Is that right? Anyway, leave me a review! I love hearing from you guys._


	16. A Deal

What would I be without Sookie? Staring at her right now, I couldn't really comprehend it. What would all of the random parts of me become without the fairy light that was my sister? She was the sun and I was the darkness, a creature of night terrors and rage. There was something savage inside of me, something that called out to Eric Northman.

Something that separated me from my sister.

As I watched the hostile exchange between Eric and Sookie in the back of Fangtasia, a heavy layer of pain and useless medication making me a sweaty, feverish mess, I thought about that anger that led me. I thought about how I had seen it in the mares who had graced me with their presence at night. Like animals that couldn't control their base urges.

When I had been small, the doctors had tried to diagnose the things in me that made me different from all the other children in my class. Darker and more violent. They had given me medication and used a bunch of fancy words to tell me about all the things that were wrong with me. I spun the pill bottle in my hand. They had never worked. I didn't tell Gram that they weren't doing anything. It was so much easier to make it seem like I was better.

In fact, a little part of me had been ashamed. Why was I different? So different that they needed to sedate me into normalcy.

I blinked, trying to swallow enough to get rid of the sticky, cottony feel of my tongue. Eric's eyes were dark as they ran over me, his arms crossed as he leaned against the desk. He had ushered me to the back area of his office, commanding me to sit in the chair beside his desk, his body positioned in a way that still partially blocked anyone from coming near me. I had been too tired to protest.

And a part of me hadn't really wanted to in the first place.

"So, if I agree to Dallas to help look for this missing vampire," my sister snipped, pacing back and forth in front of the door, her eyes still blazing with fury. Bill stood quietly near the door, his eyes wary. "You'll let Lafayette go?"

Eric's big shoulders rolled like he was resisting the urge to sigh.

"You are not going to Dallas," Bill snarled and Eric rolled his eyes, reaching over to snatch the pills from my hands.

"You're not taking anymore," he rumbled, his eyes daring me to argue with him. I didn't.

"Bill, I can make up my own mind," Sookie snapped.

"I'll pay all of your expenses, of course," Eric sighed, turning back to the pair as he set the bottle to the side. "And yes. I will release your friend."

"And I want five thousand dollars." I spluttered, blinking back the wave of hot tears as my back scraped against the rough leather of the chair, the material pulling at the folds of my bandaged skin.

"Sookie," I hissed, not daring to look Eric's way as he let out a derisive snort.

"That's a bit much," Bill whispered, grabbing hold of her forearm.

"What?" Sookie snapped, crossing arms. "We've missed a lot of work and we need a new driveway."

Our driveway was shit. Little yellow could barely get up the gravel hill that our house was snuggled into. That didn't mean that we should just throw it in there with the life of one of our longest friends like some kind of deluxe vacation deal.

"He saved our lives last night," I seethed, my face burning up. My hands clenched around the armrests.

"He held Lafayette prisoner for months," she retaliated and I gave a low growl.

"Your human is getting cocky, Bill," Eric drawled, looking bored.

The dark-haired vampire frowned, his eyes staying on Sookie's stiff shoulders before he turned to fully face us. "She will take ten thousand dollars and I will escort her."

Eric gave a derisive snort, his eyes rolling to me. "Or I could keep your little friend and you'll find his decaying body behind your house in a week."

I blanched, the armrest splintering beneath my fingers as Sookie hissed, her cheeks reddening.

"I'm sure that you know that if you did that, our contract would effectively end," I whispered and I was surprised to see Eric's lips tip down, a look of unhappiness furrowing his brows.

"Yes," Eric replied simply, crossing his arms.

We were at an impasse. I could see it in the sullen way that Eric stared at my sister and the haughty way that she stared back. They both wanted something from this bargain - and from the information that Eric had briefly given us, I was under the impression that either way, a life was at risk.

"Sookie," I started, ignoring the glare that she was shooting me with. "You can't possibly be trying to throw in a wad of cash along with Lafayette's life. This isn't an upgrade for a car we're talking about."

"If we come back, after all, this time off, we're screwed," Sookie griped and I rubbed my tired eyes. She was right. We could barely make our payments as it was with both of us working. And while Sookie was reaching with the five grand, the estimates that we had gotten for paving our driveway was upwards of seven grand.

This whole entire experience was exhausting and I was in so much pain at the moment that I could hardly concentrate. But Sookie wasn't willing to speak Eric's language so that left only me to pull the load.

"Is there any other way for us to acquire the money as well as Lafayette?" I hedged. I blinked, shocked at the quiver in my own voice. Eric's eyes narrowed, his fangs flashing as I stared down at my hands, a few errant purple sparks zinging along them. They were shaking uncontrollably.

Even Bill seemed a bit dazed, his fangs snapping down as he stared at me. Like wolves drawn to the bleeding carcass of a deer. I bared my own teeth at them, my neck prickling uncomfortably. In the state that I was in, it was highly unlikely that I would be able to fight them both off.

"What's happening to you, Runa?" Sookie breathed, quickly coming toward me to feel at my sweaty forehead. Her eyes were bright, gleaming in the low light of the office. She looked beautiful - ethereal even. "You're burning up."

"I'm fine," I croaked out, swatting at her until she moved uncertainly back to Bill's side.

"You only had four in the last few hours?" Eric asked sharply, crouching down beside me. His face was close enough for me to touch as he examined me, those icy eyes of his making the feverish heat I felt chill a little bit. "Tell me, Runa and do not lie."

"Why would I lie about something that stupid?" I hissed but even those words shook as I forced them out of my quivering lips. Eric's eyes burned into me, a low growl slipping from him. "Yes, you infernal man. Only four."

"This infernal man is about to save your life," he bit out before tipping his head towards my sister. "Your little, human friend will go with you today on the conditions of Dallas-"

"And the ten grand," Sookie threw out, her eyes wide with worry as they ran over me. Her teeth bit down at her bottom lip before she was turning frantically back to Eric. "Can't you do something? Aren't there any medications that you can give her?"

I braced, staring at the little bottle that had dropped to the ground. Yeah. Those pain meds had worked _really_ well.

Arctic eyes burned into me. "You'll get all your petty wishes for _Dallas_ and _after_ Runa has taken some of my blood."

I blinked. I hadn't expected him to offer me his blood again.

"What?" Sookie stumbled, bewildered for a moment before irritation set in. "No! She already told you last night-"

"She's in pain," Eric snapped, not taking his eyes from mine as one of his big hands ran through the matted, sweaty clumps of my hair. I nearly groaned at the cool feel against my skin. "The pain medication that I've given her isn't working - I assume that her kind doesn't respond well to human medicine. Has she ever gone to the hospital?"

"I-" Sookie stumbled off as I shook my head. No. I had never come down with a single illness since I was born. _Fairy child_ , my gran had whispered, chuckling over me.

I blinked groggily. My stomach rolled, bucking against the little bit of water and pills that I had downed. God, all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep. But I couldn't do that. If I did that then Sookie would get Eric angry and Eric would end up ripping out Lafayette's throat right in front of her just to show her her place. He liked doing stuff like that - showing people that he was the big, bad Viking.

"She won't do it-" Sookie was saying, her voice high and shrill.

"She doesn't have a choice," Eric snarled and I reached forward without thinking, slipping a hand along the hard ridge of his jaw. His eyes snapped to me, their pull almost hypnotic. I could drown in them if I wanted to. "Runa. Look at me."

I did, my eyes pulled back to those blue seas. I could feel the crispness of the air, the burn of the wind on my cheeks as it rolled down from the mountains. Home. Where the great tree of the _mares_ rested.

"I'm fine," I forced out, blinking away those images that seemed so embedded in me. "I don't need your blood, Eric."

A low snarl was the only answer I got before his hand was reaching out, taking a hold of my shoulder and squeezing. White hot pain blasted down my back and arm, ripping a raw scream from my lips. Desperately, I tried to hold onto the contents of my stomach.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" Sookie shrieked, lurching forward with enough rage that Bill had to yank her back a foot.

Eric didn't even glance up.

"That is your _uninjured_ arm, Runa Stackhouse," Eric growled, his eyes rabid and dark as I panted in his grip, a dribble of sweat running down my jaw. I gulped down a breath as he cupped my chin, his fangs flashing. "I will give you the prostitute in my basement as well as pay for your driveway on top of the ten thousand that your annoying sister requests."

"You arrogant bastard," Sookie seethed from her place in Bill's arms as he tried to coddle her into submission.

"All you have to do is drink my blood and heal yourself," Eric breathed, drawing nearer until he was all that I could see. His thumb stroked reassuringly across my cheek as I quivered.

 _Why are you fighting it?_ That angry little voice from before seethed. I squeezed my eyes shut, unsure. _What exactly are you fighting against?_

I didn't even know at this point. Maybe it was from the simple fact that I knew that if I let Eric in even an inch, he would take up so much space inside of me. I was scared to give him that power - scared that it would turn into something uncontrollable and I would catch fire and burn.

And more than that, maybe it was pride. Maybe it was that stubborn rage in me that refused to lose even an inch of my own freedom.

But bigger than me was Lafayette - if I couldn't do this for myself than I could at least do it for him. What would a few erotic dreams about the sexiest man undead really harm? Especially since I was already having them.

"Fine," I gritted out, feeling something raw and vulnerable tear at me as I opened my eyes to those blue orbs. "But just this once."

His lips quirked up whickedly. "Most would fall to their knees to even see my blood."

I snorted, wincing as the open wounds at my shoulder and back throbbed. "That has everything to do with your appearance and nothing to do with your personality."

His eyes twinkled.

"Runa, you don't have to do this," Sookie hissed from across the room. "He's just taking advantage of this whole situation."

Staring into Eric's eyes, I found that hard to believe. If anything he could have held Lafayette, sending little bits of him to us in the mailbox until eventually we caved. That would be the mark of a monster. His terms were so small in comparison to what we were asking him and what we had already asked him to do.

"You'll give Lafayette to us before I agree," I whispered, not taking my eyes away from the blonde haired vampires face.

"Pam already has him waiting at the bar with a nice, warm bottle of true blood," Eric said with a smooth smile.

"He doesn't drink blood."

"Oops," Eric replied innocently, widening his eyes in mock surprise. What an ass.

Sookie's eyes caught mine, her breath coming in short bursts. "Are you sure about this?"

I didn't flinch when I answered. "Yes." I forced a smile. "It'll be quick."

"Ah, you're in for a treat, my little mare," Eric purred, licking his lips in a way that made it very clear that what he had in mind wasn't going to be quick at all.

My mouth went dry, my cheeks heating. No. We were just going to exchange blood and then he was going to let me go on my way. I gulped.

Eric picked up the phone on his desk, his eyes flicking to me before he switched to me.

"Have Chow bring a car around for Bill and his pet." Eric's eyes drifted to me again, his eye darkening. "And don't disturb me."

He hung up before the person on the other end could reply before turning swiftly back to Sookie and Bill who were talking in low, feverish whispers.

"You'll leave now," Eric stated bluntly and I resisted the urge to shiver. Sure. We had been in a room alone before but… this felt different. My stomach clenched as something deep inside of me burned.

"We can't-" Sookie stated, glancing nervously at me.

"You can't," Eric cut her off, nodding to the door. "You'll wait for her in the bar."

Sookie mind tapped against mine as Bill ushered her out with a conflicted expression. _I'll be here. Call for me if he does anything._

In more than one way I was glad that Eric had forced them out. The sizzle spark that I kept feeling between the hulking Viking and me felt like a pool of gasoline ready for a match. It would be embarrassing to have an audience to something that Sookie had described as… I bit at my lip, trying to look anywhere but Eric.

Across the room, I heard the couch crinkle as Eric sat on it, his head cocking to the side as he gave me a slow smile. "Come here, little mare."

Awkwardly, I tugged down my shirt, getting up to walk unsteadily to the seat beside him. He was sprawled out, his long legs taking up most of the space in front of him and his hulking form taking up a good portion of the couch. That meant that I would be squished in the corner.

"Ah, ah, ah," Eric murmured, yanking me into his lap, his eyes glittering with wicked amusement. "You'll take my blood on my lap."

I blinked, my legs instinctively spreading around his hips. "That seems unnecessary."

"Unnecessary was you refusing my blood last night," Eric mused darkly and I jumped as his fangs clicked down. "Now you'll play by my rules - keep that tight little pussy against me while you take my blood."

I gasped, my vision clouding until all I could see were those sexy lips curled up. I was getting wet and I could feel the impressive bulge rubbing against the most intimate parts of me. One of his hands had gone to my hips, so big that it curls around my ass, yanking me into him.

He kept grinning at me as he brought a wrist to his lips, biting down until there was a splurt of blood and then he was offering it to me. I hesitated, that raw wound making me take pause. Blood flowed freely from the wound, his lips and fangs smeared with it as he stared at me.

"You'll drink it, Runa," he whispered, that hand on my butt tightening as he drew his other wrist to my lips. I could smell the metallic tang of blood. But there was something else. Something sweeter. "Drink."

Sookie had told me about the startling burst of vampire blood. She had told me that when Bill had first let her drink from her at first she spluttered and retched, that blood so odd like cooled tea coming from something that was so alive. The thought had made her sick to her stomach. But then… then she had swallowed another mouthful and-

Eric let out a hiss, my tongue work at the ripped skin as I took another gulp. It was sweet and tangy and it tasted like the freshest water from a stream with flowers and - I bit down, grabbing at his hand as I tried to drag as much into my mouth. Beneath me, I could feel his hips buck, the hand that had been on my hip, tightening on my ass. Was it wrong to want to rub against him?

I let out a moan, my head going fuzzy and hot as the pain in my shoulder and back fizzled away and left me with a different kind of ache. My nipples hardened, my breast painfully heavy against the abrasive material of the Fangtasia shirt.

"You're going to make this hard aren't you?" Eri hissed as I let go of his wrist, lapping at the quickly healing wound until there was nothing but smooth skin. I gave a mewl, glaring at the spot. I wanted more. I wanted more and I would get more, I decided leaning forward to chomp down onto his wrist. "Bad girl."

Fingers tangled in my hair, tugging my face away just as they grazed over the soft skin there. Eric's eyes twinkled up at me, his fangs still down as his other hand kept me firmly in his lap.

"You're the one who wanted to give me your blood," I murmured, helpless against the tidal wave of senses that were assaulting me. Eric smell. The feel of Eric's skin against my own. How I could feel myself soaking through my underwear. God, I was so sensitive there.

"Men must fall at your feet," Eric groaned as I whimpered, withering on that bulge that I could feel rubbing just between my folds. I couldn't think. I could barely function. My nipples pricked, rubbing against the material of the shirt and all I wanted to do was tear it off and maybe reach down for Eric's buckle so that I could let myself go a little bit.

Hissing, he flipped me suddenly, forcing me to my hands and knees on the couch. His big hands clench onto my wrists, forcing my hands to stay above my head.

"You're going to make me do something that I regret," Eric hisses, his other hand running roughly along my splayed thighs.

Desperately, I wiggle back into him, getting a snarl and a flash of fangs in reward. His legs between me knees spread me wide. A distant part of me, called out like a boat sounding from out at sea to a small village inland. This was wrong. I should stop it. This wasn't like me at all.

But a bigger part of me craved it - had craved him ever since that first meeting in Fangtasia. And there was also that part of her that ached - the part that was weeping for his touch.

"Eric, please," I whimpered, panting out a breath as his hands tightened, grinding that erection against me with a snarl.

"Shit," he hissed, the hand that was rubbing along my thigh going higher, toying along the edge of my panties until I gave a sob. "You're such a tease. You ask for everything with that innocent little look of yours and then you expect me not to take what I want."

He sounds so furious as he says it and I feel the prick of his fangs as they rake along my neck, not breaking skin but hard enough that I know that he could. Oh, why does that turn me on so much?

"You're not going to bite me are you?" I gasped, feeling the rough press of his tongue as he licked along the side of my throat.

"No," he bit out, the hands that still had my own trapped tightening. The fingers of his other hand played along the seam of my panties, pressing and tugging with feather-light teasing that made me want to cry with need. "I'll give you what you need and then when the time comes you'll let me bite you willingly. For now, I'll have to settle for this."

And finally, _finally_ those long fingers of his slipped past the fabric of my underwear, gliding through my folds. Oh, I hadn't known how wet and ready I was until he was pressing up against me. I'm so wet I'm dripping and he makes a grunt deep in his throat like it pleases him. I should tell him to stop. I should yell at him to get away from me but instead the slide of his fingers as he simply explores, circling my entrance and then going back, back, _back_ to that little nub of nerves.

"Damn, you're dripping," Eric snarls and for some reason, I think that fact makes him furious. For some reason, I think that he wants to tear something apart. But instead, his hips grind against me, making me gasp.

I need something to hold onto. My hands spark a purple fizz as my nails dig into the couch cushion below us, Eric's hands still firmly in place. Desperate to grab onto something, to tear him up as much as he's tearing me up, I leaned forward, my teeth baring. I want to sink them into something - anything.

"No biting, pet," Eric grunts and I gasp, jerking as he finds my clit, his hands slippery with my own arousal as they move around it with such skill.

No biting, he says. I whimper, my teeth just grazing over his wrist. I need to anchor myself somehow. I won't break skin. Or maybe I will - just a little.

Eric easily slides a finger into my warmth, groaning as he does. "Damn, you're tight."

I can't think. I can barely breathe. He's pushing into me in a rhythmic slide, his thumb circling my clit and all I can do is whimper and moan beneath him. Something is tightening up inside of me and I feel it burning through me like a slow moving flame.

"You can come on me, pet but you need to keep that pretty little mouth closed," Eric growls in my ear and my toes curl and I'm bucking against his hand as he adds a second finger. I'm so close that I'm frantic. "You keep those noises for me."

Against the nape of my neck, I feel Eric's breath burst hot and wet along my skin and then the firm nip of his teeth. And that's all I'm taking before I let out a squeak, biting down on the couch cushions to stop my scream. The orgasm explodes through me, leaving me gasping and exhausted. I want to curl up in the nearest corner and take a nap but Eric has other plans as he tugs my panties into place and releases my wrists from his iron grip.

Dazed, I struggle into a sitting position, curling into the corner of the couch in a sated, exhausted mess. A low growl draws my gaze back to Eric, his eyes blazing as he laps at his fingers. I blush. The fingers that he…

"I-I'm sorry," I breath, registering what just happened - the way that my soaking panties are clinging to my folds. Eric's eyes darken, running over my legs as they curl beneath me. "I don't know what happened…"

Eric's fangs are still out, his shoulders stiff even as he reclines against the back of the couch like a god. For a moment, there's just silence - hot and heavy. What do you say after throwing yourself at a vampire - demanding that he have sex with you? I swallow, remembering all the dirty things he whispered to me. Unwanted, my eyes wander to the impressive bulge still tenting his jeans.

"I-I'm in your debt?" That sounds like a question. Eric's eyes narrow, his lips thinning. Yeah. That definitely wasn't the right thing to say. And...he's not saying anything. I basically just pressured him into pleasuring me. Oh, that's so embarrassing.

Tugging down my shirt anxiously, I stumble to my feet, nearly dying from embarrassment as my knees buckle on me and I have to catch myself on the couch. Note to self: world-shattering orgasms will make it hard for you to walk.

"I'll - um - just go?" I ask - why am I asking? He still hasn't said anything and those arctic eyes of his are dark and heavy-lidded as he watches me. I feel like a rabbit that wandered into a lion's den. "Um… Thank you again."

I rush to the door, sliding it up quickly to catch sight of the darkened hall that would lead me to the main bar area. Anything to get out of that room before Eric decided to finally say something that I may not like.

"I'll see you in your dreams, little mare," a low voice finally rumbles as the door slides shut behind me.

* * *

_Hey guys! Another chapter down. Currently, trying to get through The Starless Sea but I'm a little dense when it comes to symbolism and dreamy kinds of tales so I am st-rug-al-ing, honey. How's the reading going for ya'll?_

_Hope you guys like it and please drop a review if you did!_


	17. Dirty Dreams

In my dreams, Eric didn't let me leave.

In my dreams, he was there in a second, growling and furious as he took me against the wall. And then afterward, he would quiet, lapping at the bites he had left along my neck.

Sometimes I would close my eyes and find myself with him, staring into those endless eyes, his skin against mine. We would whisper to each other, secret things under trees, the base of mountains or in the smoky hall of Fangtasia. I would tell him the things that hurt to say, the things that were buried at the very bottom of the well of my being.

Sometimes we wouldn't speak at all and I could simply stare at the expanse of his shoulders, his narrow waist. I would go into the forest and grab fresh berries to mash. Together we would paint each other, his fingers strong and sure as he ran his fingers along my breasts, down my ribs. He would teach me to paint his face, guiding my fingers along his face, down his chest, over his heart.

And then the morning would come and I would wake. And the emptiness would follow.

At first, it was just an uneasy feeling in my stomach when I woke, a tightness in my throat that would eventually loosen the longer I was awake and in the sun among all the living things. I wanted to stay there, I began to realize. I wanted to stay there with Eric where he would tell me about his Gods and I would tell him about my people, my dreams and my tree.

"Stay." For the last four days, I had been trying to keep myself awake, afraid of whatever was growing inside of me when I went to sleep. And also tired of the dull ache that was starting to build up somewhere in the general area that I supposed my heart would be.

"You don't want me to stay," I snapped, trying not to look over at where Eric lounged on the office sofa, a tank top stretched across the impressive expanse of his chest. Damn. Why did he have to look so enticing all the time? Didn't he have some flaw? I gnawed at my lip. I supposed being a giant dick most of the time could be considered that flaw.

"If I didn't want you to stay then I wouldn't have said it," he scoffed, a brow quirking over those striking eyes. His shoulders rolled and bulged as he leaned back farther on his ugly, green couch, throwing an arm over the back. "Why are you always so…" His lips tipped down and then up, his nose wrinkling. "Human?"

"I was raised by humans," I sighed, frustrated. "And so were you for that matter."

"Vikings are hardly human," Eric scoffed, rolling his eyes. His eyes roamed freely down my bartender gear, a short shirt and tight pants. Sex appeal got me major tips. I had fallen asleep in them. Eric's teeth flashed. "I like your outfit."

"Stop that," I snapped, running a hand through my hair in agitation as I looked around the dimly lit office light. Eric's smile all but disappeared, his eyes shuttering as he watched me.

"Why do you always do that?" he mused, his long legs stretching out in front of him. His head tipped to the side. "We could be fucking but instead you choose to struggle around with some internal battle."

"Oh yeah," I bit out sarcastically. "Feelings really suck."

"This struggle that you have…" His eyes shown like a crystal ocean, his head tipping back until it hit the back of the couch. "Seems unnecessary."

I snarled, my shoulders tensing. Of course, he would say that. Things were so straight forward in his world. There was force and cunning plans and a world that he could easily grasp in his palm if he felt the urge. "My sister is dating a vampire which led into a suicide pact that I have with her in debt to another vampire –" Eric winked, his head still resting against the couch even as he smirked over at me. "My friends and family are slowly being picked off and tortured and I'm some kind of weird monster freak – a race that is filled with a bunch of batshit crazy motherfuckers who want nothing more to do with me – that knows little to nothing about my powers and history – and – and now this. You. In my dreams every night." His eyes lingered on the bit of my stomach that my shirt showed. "God. Why am I even talking to you about this? You're not even real."

Wind tickled over my face seconds before he was towering over me, his hands going to my waist. His voice was gravelly when he answered me. "Do I not feel real to you?"

I blinked, gulping back my own yearning. "You – you do seem real but… but you're not." That little admission felt like a tear down my insides, a rip through my heart. "All you are is what I want you to be. What I want for him to be – the real Eric."

"If you think that my blood is so weak to give you only a shadow of myself than you've severely underestimated me, Runa," he murmured, his lips traveling over the scars at my neck that he had given me only a day before. I hadn't thought that they would linger in this dream as well. "You are scared of so many things, little mare. When all you need to do is ask for my help – talk to me like you do in these dreams and I will give you the world."

"Your help always comes with strings," I breathed, clutching at his shirt as I heard the gentle click of his fangs before they were raking along the sensitive skin of my neck. His hands dragged me closer to him.

"Not for you," he murmured.

"How am I supposed to believe you?" It came out sounding more like a plea than a question.

"I can't make you trust me," he whispered, his breath hot against my neck. "You'll just have to make that leap for yourself."

And then there was the sharp press of his fangs as he bit into the tender skin at my shoulder, groaning.

* * *

I woke slowly, feeling the ripple of the sheets beneath me and the cool, balmy air wafting in through my open window. The sound of the cicadas hiding in the mossy trees around our house, drifted in and out, amplifying for a moment before settling. My whole body tingled, the clothes from my shift at the bar making my nostrils fill with the sharp tang of beer and cigarette smoke.

I blinked, taking in my room. Sookie and I didn't live on any neighborhood or near any of the main roads. That meant that the only light in our house at night came from the stars.

But tonight was different.

Tonight my walls were painted purple.

My insides bubbled like a stew that had been put on high heat. My ears prickled, picking up on the distant screech of tires and rubber on gravel. Ever since I had gotten Eric's blood in me, all of my senses had been heightened. Food tasted better, colors seemed brighter, my skin felt hyper-sensitive to the fibers in my clothes – two days ago I had flipped a chair by accident, sending it crashing into the ceiling of Merlotte's.

I hissed out a breath as my palms burned, twitching into my comforter. It felt like my skin was a pot, my insides the soupy content being cooked. Was this some sort of warning from the mares? I hadn't gotten any dreams, any messages from them in the week that followed my near death. When I had first remembered the cryptic warnings that they had given me, I had been scared.

Was drinking the blood of a vampire breaking their strange, nonsensical rules? I had been in a cold sweat after the first of my dreams with Eric, waiting for the almost divine justice that those mares seemed to specialize in. But as minutes turned to hours and then days, I realized that maybe they didn't even know. Maybe they still thought I was dead. There was a strange sort of silence that had grown inside of me, something that I think humans called peace.

My heart constricted as a dribble of sweat rolled down my temple, the heat in my stomach amping up another degree. How stupid could I be? Of course, they knew I was still here. They had just waited long enough to lull me into a false sense of security, the vindictive bitches.

Sookie! I tried, desperately trying to run backwards along that line that we seemed to share. Sookie, please! I need you! Somethings wrong.

My skin tingled, tightening almost painfully, the purplish glow sparking along my body fizzling and dying out until there was nothing but the darkness of the night. And somehow that was almost worse, paralyzed in my own bed, my body burning with no one there to help me. I let out a low whine, trying to mentally will myself to get up. The fire inside of me kicked up another notch making me still.

Stop, I hissed mentally, forcing as much of my own will into that one word. Stop now.

Cold wood slammed into my back, the floor unforgiving as I crashed into it. My nose went slamming into something hard and metal, a sickening crack jarring me for a moment before the warm splash of blood dribbled down my lip.

"Fuck," I gritted out, rolling and slamming my head into a metal rod under my bed.

"I'VE GOT A BAT, YOU BLOODSUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!" Light spilled into my room, blinding me momentarily while I tried to squirm my way out from under my bed.

Sookie let out a shriek, the metal bat that she had slamming down into my hand as I wiggled farther out from under the box spring, dust bunnies clinging to me. White-hot pain shot up my arm, forcing a scream from me. Oh my god, I think she broke something.

"SOOKIE!" I yelped, hoping like crazy that she wouldn't swing again. The edge of my blanket was blocking my view of anything other than a small sliver of my door, Sookie's legs and the rather sickening sight of my fingers turning an alarming shade of red and purple.

"Runa?" my sister gasped, the bat dropping to her side to my relief. Wide brown eyes came into view as she got to her knees. "What the hell happened?"

I blinked up at her and then the cross fencing of my bed. "I think I just went through my bed."

* * *

It was hard to explain a broken nose, especially when it healed quickly enough to look like it had happened a few weeks ago.

"Oh, sweetie, what in the hell happened to you?" Arlene gushed, her face scrunching up as she halted in her route to a nearby table. I resisted the urge to grimace, swiping my long, dark hair into a ponytail.

"I fell out of my bed and bruised it," I grumbled. Not a complete lie. But also definitely not the truth.

I quickly skirted around her to the bar, giving Tara a smile as she cleaned off the back counter. It was a Tuesday night so we didn't have a full bar. What we did have were a series of regulars and two of our harder drunks in the neighborhood.

Her eyes widened as they fell on the yellowish bruise and the swelling that was slowly going down. I had cracked it back into place after Sookie had cleaned me up a bit, her screaming as I did it. Eric's blood had been in me for a little over a week now and it seemed to be running just as strong as the first day – that point underlined by the fact that my nose had healed so quickly.

"Jesus, girl," Tara gasped, stepping closer to me as I stuffed my satchel and jacket beneath the counter. "What the hell happened? You look like you got jumped by a gorilla."

I had had to wrap my hand up too, the whole entire thing had quickly become swollen and ugly and it hurt like a motherfucker. Special thanks went out to my spritely sister for slamming a wooden bat into my hand.

"Bed, metal rod," I grunted, tightening the wrap around my hand and tugging on an elastic glove over it before I started cutting limes, oranges and lemons. It was going to be a painful night if the resulting tingle of pain was any indication. But I liked my tips and I wasn't willing to give up on them, especially when Eric's blood was already helping me to heal so quickly.

"That happened last night?" Tara whispered, her eyes skeptical as she took in the yellowish-green bruises ringing my eyes and swollen nose. A brow tipped up, her hands going to rest on her hips. "That sure don't look like no fresh bruise."

"Good genes," I said, giving a tense smile as I moved on to ringing some glasses with fresh salt.

"Good genes?" she repeated. Finally, after a long pause, she moved closer, her voice dropping so that only I could hear her. "Runa, Sookie told me."

My lips thinned, my heart dropping even as I continued rolling the glasses. "Of course she did."

Tara and I had never been very close. Sure I had watched all of the drama with her and her Mama. I had watched her long for my brother with a sort of transfixed horror. I had gone through all the highs and lows of her life and yet my interest in her and her cousin had never really peaked. We had never connected in the deep way that I had seen others.

And even with Sookie there was always a sort of distance. It was like even our deepest connections were only surface. There had always been something strange about the Stackhouse's – something that didn't mesh well with other humans.

"You know you've gone batshit crazy right?" she questioned bluntly and I resisted the urge to snap at her.

"I also almost died," I stated blandly, casting a scathing glance her way. "Did my sister tell you that?"

"No," Tara admitted almost reluctantly. Her eyes moved along my body uncertainly. So Sookie hadn't told her about the attack at all.

"Eric Northman saved my life," I whispered, the words a truth that I hadn't fully acknowledged up until this point. "And I won't disrespect him by say that I regret it."

There was a moment of silence that was filled with clinking glasses and Terry hollering from the back.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Tara finally whispers, her voice wavering for a moment. "You and your sister have gone through a lot and I don't want to see either of you hurt. Just promise me you'll be careful okay?"

There was another moment of tense silence where Tara's dark eyes caught mine, holding them like she could force the message into my brain with the intensity of her gaze alone. A wave of irritation pricked through me. Who the hell had been taking care of everything for the last few weeks? Who had gone along with Sookie's absurd plan? When did she think that it was right to talk about something that was so intimate?

"Yeah," I snapped, slamming the glass down and storming toward the exit. "Where did you say Sookie was?"

"I didn't-" I snarled, baring my teeth as I snapped around at the defensive answer.

"Where is she?"

Tara's eyes widened. "I – I think she went out to talk to Sam-"

I slammed around the corner before she could finish, nearly colliding with Arlene as she came out with a full platter.

"Woah, honey!" she blurted, scuttling into the corner as I bolted passed. "What the hell's going on?"

I heard her before I saw her, her voice hard against the gentle sway of the Louisiana bayou outside. I pushed open the door just as Sookie came rushing in, Sam looking like a whipped dog. Which seemed to be a default setting for his facial features whenever he was around my sister.

But the door swung shut behind her before I could catch more than a passing glance at him, his arms wrapped tightly around a wooden crate of clementines.

"God, he's such an asshole," Sookie fumed, running an irritated hand through her hair. Her eyes blazed as she shuffled around in front of me. "He's leaving – did you know that? Just up and leaving without a word-"

"Did you tell Tara about Eric and I?" I cut in, my eyes narrowing on her. Honestly, I couldn't care less where the hell Sam Merlotte was going. He had always been a little too clingy for me. Maybe a little time out of bum-fuck Louisiana would be good for getting that giant, Sookie shaped stick out of his ass.

Besides there was another major problem that came with Sam potentially scampering away – he would be leaving the girl that he had been infatuated with for years now.

So, yeah. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I – um –" The look on her face was enough to solidify my anger.

"How _dare_ you?" I hissed, not caring that Terry had halted in his route to one of the back-storage pantries, slowly backing up with a wide-eyed sort of terror. My anger rolled through me with a fury that nearly blinded me. "Who the fuck do you think you are to tell anyone who I let into my bed?"

"Bed?" Sookie stuttered out, her cheeks heating as her shoulders went up. "Runa – what the fuck – did you let him fuck-?"

"No," I snarled, my own shoulders rising as her feet widened. She looked like she was ready to fight me. Well, fuck. We had been in a few hair-pulling tiffs and I was certainly feeling in that mood right now. "I drank his blood – something just as intimate and extremely more dangerous to tell random people-"

"Tara isn't some stranger-" Sookie argued back.

"She's not my best goddamn friend either," I bit out, my blood boiling. "Or have you forgotten that just a month ago one of Jason's best friends was running around slaughtering girls that he thought were fang bangers?"

"How could I _ever_ forget that?" Sookie hissed and involuntarily I flinched, watching the flare of pain snap through her eyes. And then I was thinking about the open door, the blood on our welcome mat, spilling from the kitchen, from my- I cut that off, turning away.

"Don't talk about my personal life to whoever the fuck you want to," I whispered, clenching my fists as my fingers gave an uncomfortable tingle, lighting a frantic purple before fading to translucency. My powers were run on emotions and right now I was almost quivering with how angry I was.

"Why is this upsetting you so much?" Sookie called out and I heard the defiant lilt in her voice. Like she was angry that I wasn't as easily pushed around like her little boy toys. "You can't possibly be emotionally invested in a psychotic, narcissistic vampire."

My blood ran cold, an irrational argument taking over as her words struck through me, clanking around like a bunch of change that had been tossed into an empty bucket. A loud part of me wanted to fight rabidly against the disturbing ideas of having any sort of attachment to a man as powerful as Eric. It made me feel vulnerable. And I hated that more than anything else in the world.

But I couldn't ignore the dreams or the way that he treated me any longer.

"My emotions are private," I finally said, not turning around. "And if you want to air them out to other people and create a little play out of my life then you do that. Just know that we'll have some serious problems."

I let that sink in, my eyes catching hers as she went a few shades lighter.

"Runa-" Sookie started and from her tone, I could tell that it wouldn't be an apology. More like a passive-aggressive threat about us being family.

"I don't want to hear it," I muttered, wheeling to make my way back to the bar where Tara was still standing, working worriedly at reorganizing the alcohol stock. Her eyes ran over me with barely concealed panic.

"Is everything alright?" she asked hesitantly, one of the few times she had ever shown any sign of nervousness in her life.

"Fine," I snapped, yanking on another pair of elastic gloves just as Sookie wandered by, her expression slightly dazed as she wobbled over to a new table. "You're good to go whenever you want to."

"Um…okay." Tara grabbed her purse quickly. In recent days, she had moved into our house and I had walked into her and my sister crying in random parts of the house on more occasions than not. Usually, I slowly backed away, wanting no part of sifting through Gran's stuff. It seemed almost barbaric to just rifle through her clothing and pictures like… like her life was something that needed to be thrown out.

I made it through the rest of the evening in a sort of haze, serving the bar and restaurant with a single-mindedness that had me idling for most the night. In that way, Sam and I seemed to be in the same boat. Which was a miserable position to find myself in.

"Miss Stackhouse." I glanced up at the deep, southern accented voice to find Bill. He had come into Merlotte's on more than one occasion, waiting for Sookie with me at the bar so that he wouldn't be subjected to any of the other waitresses dancing around the whole vampire, not eating dilemma. Plus, they really didn't appreciate the idea of waiting on someone who would only have a ten-dollar bill at best. His shadowed eyes met my indignant ones. Begrudgingly, I yanked out a bottle of TruBlood and popped it into the microwave. It was late enough in the evening for most of the restaurant to have already emptied out and my remaining lot was so drunk that they barely even flinched at the sight of Bill.

"This seems like a particularly quiet night," Bill commented as I wiped up my counter, yanking off my apron for a new one that wasn't stained with cocktail syrup and vodka.

Sookie was closing out her last table, transferring over her section to a new server named Daphne that Arlene thought was dumber than a pile of rocks. And frankly, I had to agree with her. At the beginning over her service, she asked me if I did the brandy stew sear or if she had to go to the back to put it in. I had handed the drink menu to her in answer.

"I have a favor to ask you," I started, getting a mop and starting to warm up a bucket with heavy cleaners. I would be here until close in another four hours but there wasn't any harm in starting clean up early. Especially on a night as dead as this one.

One brow quirked as Bill leaned forward, obviously intrigued. "Yes?"

"The tickets are scheduled for a time where I'll be working the bar," I said, pouring a mixture of bleach and Pinesol into the bucket – something that I was sure would probably knock someone out if they had to inhale it for too long. It would help clear out my little birdies quick enough. "I need you to message Eric and tell him to book a later flight."

"Later flight…" Bill repeated slowly, his brows creasing. "Are you sure that you would like to go alone? The flight is actually a private jet."

My brows furrowed. Well, damn. "If he's able to accommodate me then I would really appreciate it. If not, I'll see if I can possibly get a replacement."

That was easier said than done. Sam had planned his little getaway real quickly, leaving the rest of the restaurant to scramble under the sudden loss. That left the bar with only two members that were qualified to run it. And on that list was Tara who had been blowing off shifts with a surprising nonchalance that came specifically from a mysterious benefactor that she only mentioned in a dreamy, idyllic way that made me uncomfortable.

"I will send your request along," Bill said uneasily, nodding in thanks as I gave him his heated drink. "However, I think it's important to mention that Eric isn't particularly the charitable type."

"Then let's hope that the mood strikes him," I said with a stiff smile.

"Bill." I stiffened. My sister hadn't spoken to me once throughout the evening, leaving her alcohol orders on my counter like little messages from a child. It was more than irritating. It was ridiculous. I set the steaming bucket down with a thump, grabbing up a mop. She hadn't acknowledged me all night so I certainly wasn't going to do her the favor.

"Yes, darling," he said, sending me a curious glance as I continued to mop up aggressively at one corner of the bar floor. "Are you two…"

"Not tonight, honey," Sookie snapped, yanking on her hoodie with a wrath that surprised me. "Let's go."

Still uncertain, he got up, his eyes flicking between the two of us for a moment longer before he finally gave up. "I will send your message along."

I could feel Sookie's sharp glance from a mile away. I didn't look up, giving a nod of acknowledgment and then scrubbing at the floor until a layer of sludge started to peel off and my shoulders were beginning to ache. They had left in the silent way that all vampires arrived and exited. As if they were never there in the first place.

One of the more prominent reasons that I had decided to stick with my schedule was because of the growing tension between my sister and I. The flight was scheduled for an earlier time before the sunset, meaning that Bill and Jessica would be in dead in a couple of caskets in the back while Sookie and I had to stare at each other over our airplane food.

"Rutha," a chirpy voice said from somewhere behind me. I closed my eyes, praying for a little bit of patience before I turned to Daphne, our newest airhead. Daphne was a bubbly girl with dirty blonde hair and dark eyes and a serious penchant for gaudy jewelry. And also a penchant for calling me by the wrong fucking name.

"Runa," I snapped, sighing.

"Oh," she giggled, slapping her head lightly. "Duh."

"What's up?" I asked, peeling off my gloves to rewrap my wrist.

"Well, um I was wondering if you could maybe train me?" she bubbled, running a hand through the section of salt that I had just set out to ring a couple of glasses. She made a little bunny doodle in it, grinning at me. "I was like wondering how long it took you to get good with the bar? It's got to be as easy as serving."

"Which you're fantastic at already," Arlene quipped sarcastically as she passed with a full tray of dirty dishes. She rolled her eyes to me, huffing.

Daphne's performance in the dining area was less than stellar. Half the time she didn't even know where the plates were even going. The other half she was daydreaming so much that she tripped and sent food and glass all over the place. And god forbid she clean it up quickly.

"It took me a whole year of being a trainee for Sam to let me move up to the barkeep position," I stated blandly. "And every week there's a new drink coming out, a new way of doing the cocktails so training is always in season."

"Oh," Daphne said lamely, her gaze dropping unhappily to the salt doodles that she was currently engrossed in. Her lips opened and closed for a moment before she looked up at me hopefully. "But I'm sure you're such a good teacher that you can have me up and going in like a week."

Was she trying to flirt with me? God, I hated people who didn't want to work for their money.

"Too bad I'm going on vacation," I said with a false pout that she immediately copied. One of the fans overhead kicked in, spluttering to life.

"Oooohhhh," Daphne wowed. "Spooky."

"Yeah. It's been-" I stopped, my nose catching on something – My head snapped around, catching the startled look flash across the blondes face quickly. But I didn't care. I wasn't focused on that. What I was focused on was that smell. The smell of mud and decay. A smell that I had had a very personal experience with only a few nights before.

"What-" Her words were cut off on a gasp as I reached out, one of my hands curling around her wrist.

And I came up with… nothing. Nothing and everything all at once, a combination that made me grit my teeth. It was like the roar of trees in the middle of a hurricane. Her fears were there but… it was like she thrived off of them. Like she enjoyed racing towards the chaos and jumping in.

"You're scaring me," Daphne whimpered, her eyes widening as she tried to pull away from me.

She wasn't the person. The creature that had attacked us didn't have any fears. But the same sort of chaos that I felt in that thing was reflected in Daphne. And I wasn't quite sure how to receive that.

"My bad," I muttered, pulling away more confused than I had ever been. Turning away from Daphne's frightened face, I quickly grabbed up the bucket to dump it in the back.

Daphne was a mystery to me. She didn't seem to have any ties to Louisiana. No family. Minimal friends. I had no clue who she was or where she came from.

But if she was as dangerous as that thing that had attacked Sookie and I then I needed to be careful. Going after her directly would get me killed so it was imperative that I sniffed around before I did anything too rash.

My phone gave a soft ding from my pocket. Normally, I didn't get very many messages. Mainly because I didn't have that many friends. Curious, I pulled it out of my pocket.

_Have any dirty dreams, love?_


	18. The Preacher's Wife

"Jason, where in the world are you?" I hissed into the phone, turning away from all the people that were crowding around my bar. Tara gave me a raised browed stare, silently asking me if everything was alright. Nodding, I ducked behind the fridge, squeezing into the little alcove there beside the bar exit.

"I told ya'll that I was going to one of them fancy religious camps," came his voice, the distant sound of night insects and voices.

I rubbed my temple. The only information that I had gotten was that he had gone to some Fellowship thingie and that it had cost nearly all of his savings.

"It's in Dallas," he said with an eagerness that made me think that he was actually having fun. Jason had always been the sort of person to want to go to summer camps.

"Dallas?" I croaked out, glancing uncertainly around the bar. Sookie and Bill and Jessica were already on their way to the airport. Before she had gone she had been debating whether the dress she was wearing was fancy enough for a private jet. "Why are you in Dallas?"

I blinked, my eyes ticking over to the clock to find that they wouldn't have even gotten to the airport.

"Haven't you been listening?" Jason snipped. "You and Sook never listen to me."

"Sorry," I muttered, tearing my eyes away from the clock. We couldn't possibly be going to the same location. Dallas was a big place right? "I just… I was talking to someone else. When will you be home?"

"Oh." His voice dropped bashfully and I could picture him, standing in the dark, kicking at rocks like a scolded child. "Well, um this course is supposed to be real long…"

"With an end date," I snapped, my stomach churning with an odd sort of uncertainty. "What is it?"

"Well, see, Rune," he started haltingly. "This is like an intro course. After this… well, they might ask me to stay on."

What was this feeling? Something like one of the bricks falling out from underneath you when you were walking a steady route. Bon Temp wasn't a normal place. Once you got here, you didn't leave. Whole families lived and died here, entire cemeteries dedicated to one last name. Even _Bill_ ended up back here. So to imagine that Jason would… My heart ached, something lonely and cold starting to blossom in my stomach. I had never pictured us apart. There was a certain safety in having all of us so close to each other, able to reach out and help whenever.

"You haven't told Sookie yet have you?" I whispered, turning further into the alcove corner. Even with her being so snippy with me lately, she would have told me something like this.

"You know how she gets," Jason huffed. "She'd flip out, probably come over here and do that weird whisper-shout that she does when I get her angry. It'd just be too much, ya know?"

I gave a noncommittal grunt, glancing at the clock again. It was only 30 minutes until I got off and I was absolutely dreading it. Against my ear, my phone gave a dull ding and I resisted the urge to look. Eric had been messaging me since a few days ago, his texts jolting through my system in a giddy kind of confusion. An undead Viking messaging me about plans to go to Dallas to catch some mysterious kidnapper - what an odd turn of events.

Our messages had gone something along the lines of:

_Where were we fucking tonight, lover?_

_Can't recall. Sad that even my subconscious can't pump you up enough to get the job done._

_I think first-hand experience is the direct cause of that. Don't you think it's about time we remedy it?_

_I don't like having sex with men that are holding life debts over my head._

_Say the word and it's gone._

_What word is that exactly?_

_Yes._

Always in the wee hours before dawn, right as the sun was licking at the edges of darkness still left in the sky, that message would pop across my screen. _Where were we fucking tonight, lover?_ And my sweat-soaked sheets would seem like a cage once more that I had been given over to. Agitation would quickly follow only heightened by his absurd texts. I mean what kind of vampire texted?

"Hey, do you think that having sex with a preacher's wife is bad?" I blinked, snapping back to the present.

"I'm sorry - _what_?"

"You know, like, um when you see a regular girl and think she's hot you just go for it but are there rules if its a preacher's wife?"

My head hurt.

"Okay, first of all, anybody's _wife_ is off-limits, Jason," I replied slowly, taking the time to wave at a particularly gutsy patron who was snapping her fingers at me. Raising her brows, she pointed at her empty shot glass, miming drinking. Raising my brows, I pointed at my phone, miming choking her out. By her lack of response, I was pretty sure that she thought I was telling her that I would be there in five minutes. "Secondly, even people of the cloth fuck sometimes, Jason."

There was a long pause before he replied. "So there aren't any rules?"

My head made a light thunk on the refrigerator as I took a moment to breathe. "Aside from the fact that she's married to _someone other than you_ , no. There aren't any _religious_ rules if she's just a preacher's wife."

"Cool," he said.

I closed my eyes. "Jason, please don't have sex with the preacher's wife."

"Oh, nah," he laughed. "I was just asking because I was curious."

"Yeah," I replied lamely. "I'm sure that was all it was."

"Seriously, Rune," he went on earnestly. "I've changed. I don't do things like that anymore."

I sighed. "As long as you're happy, Jason."

"It's cool here," he assured me. A low whistled drew his attention for a moment and I heard him lift the phone away as he spoke to another person. Finally, he came back. "Hey, I gotta go, Runa but I'll call you in a few days. Love you."

"Love you too Jason," I said, hearing the distant click on his end. Sighing, I looked down at the phone in my hand. He was going to get himself into trouble, I could feel it.

"Another scotch please," the annoying lady who had snapped at me called, jiggling her glass of melting ice cubes. I resisted the urge to say something snarky back, giving her a strained smile as I took the glass and quickly poured it. "Lovely evening."

"Not really," I replied, sliding the glass to her quickly before turning away to do brush down for Tara.

There was a lot to be done before I took off for the next week. On paper, my leave had been indefinite, something telling me that plans with Eric Northman could quickly turn from days to weeks. So that meant that I needed to organize the bar before I left, setting the alcohol and syrups and salts in the right area instead of the area that I preferred.

"Oh," I muttered, stopping my mad attempt at trying to sort the small stack of TruBlood and diving for my bag just beneath the bar top. Catching Tara's eyes, I waved the identical lavender packages. "Here. I almost forgot to wish you a happy birthday before I took off."

The way Tara was looking at me, you would think that I was offering her a rattlesnake instead of a gift. Her dark eyes went wide, her mouth tipping down and back. "You really shouldn't have."

"Sookie's the one who remembered," I said, shoving the boxes into her hands. Quickly, she tucked them behind the bar, her face turning away from me. "Oh my god, are you crying?"

"N-no." The raw, stuttering way that she said it was enough of an answer for me. I grimaced, tucking all of my stuff back into my bag quickly.

"Please don't do that," I said.

"You think I'm trying to cry?" she whispered back accusingly. "You're the one who had to go and surprise me like that."

"My bad for thinking that you could act like a normal human being," I hissed, swatting back at her as she gave me a slap on the arm.

"Okay." She took a deep breath, rubbing at her eyes roughly and then taking another breath. "Okay." Mouth firm, she turned to me. "Sorry. Birthdays just aren't… that great. So I wasn't expecting… Thank you for giving me those."

Nodding, I skirted around her for the stack of TruBloods again. "Just don't do that again. It was unsettling."

"Says the girl who's regularly unsettling," Tara muttered.

I snorted, tossing a couple of expired blood packets.

"Runa." Sam had stalled out on his way into the main dining area, a steaming tray of food balanced on his palm. His blue eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. "You were supposed to be off 20 minutes ago."

"Oh _shit_ ," I hissed, checking my own watch. Maybe I had been stalling a little bit but now I was late and Eric Northman didn't seem like a man who was accustomed to waiting. Tearing off my apron, I quickly tossed it in the sink and sprinted to the back to get my suitcase and then sprinted back to get my purse. "Tara-"

"I got it," she called, already loading the TruBlood back into its box.

"Be careful and have fun!" Sam called as I rushed out of the restaurant into the front parking lot.

It was hard to think that just a month or so ago that woman's carcass had been found in this very lot just a few yards away. Now the lots were all filled with dusty Louisiana cars and rusty trucks. Street lamps dotted the parking lot and standing beneath one of them was the hulking form of one Eric Northman.

His hair was golden in the light, slicked back away from the hard planes of his face. I had the sudden realization that I had never seen him completely at ease, his brows not drawn in that cutting fashion that made his crystal blue eyes shadowed. A dark jacket hugged his broad shoulders, tipped up at the collar and black jeans emphasized his tapered waist and long legs. Sookie had once described him as "an egotistical, rotten hunk of a vampire" and I found myself fully agreeing.

Eric Northman was definitely a hunk.

As I hurried towards him, his tipped up ever so slightly, his eyes running over me darkly in a way that made me think that he knew when I was coming out even before I had gotten my stuff to leave. Could vampires hear through walls, across parking lots? That was a disturbing thought.

"Think about me lately?" he called, almost casually and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Every night," I replied blandly, setting my luggage down. It wouldn't do me any good to underscore the fact that we were having mad, passionate sex every single night in my dreams. He already knew.

And apparently he was enjoying the notion.

"Often," he said with a smirk.

"Luckily it doesn't last that long," I said snarkily and he grunted, his lips twitching. Our eyes connected for a moment longer than I expected. Our little banter… Was I having fun? Was he having fun?

"You're 45 minutes late," he murmured, switching gears swiftly.

"I lost track of time," I mumbled, blushing. My heart gave an awkward rap as he took a long breath in. For some reason, it seemed more like he was breathing _me_ in. "I'm sorry."

A single brow quirked up. "You're sorry?"

My shoulders went up. "I can admit when I was wrong."

"Apologies," he murmured, his eyes flicking around. "I was just under the impression that you would never apologize to someone like me."

I shifted, my mind flashing back over all of my sharp words toward him. I didn't entirely know what that meant or if I should address it at the moment - someone like him. Shaking my head, I decided to move past it.

"You know you could have just gotten me a commercial flight right?" This time it was my turn to change the subject, coughing lightly. The way that he was staring at me was making me uncomfortable.

"And missed the opportunity to come and get you myself?" His smile was cocky as he hunched down, his shoulders almost curving around me.

I pursed my lips debating for a moment. When I had finally stopped our little messaging war and come out with the real reason why I needed to speak to him he had come up with a simple solution: He would come pick me up and drop me off at the airport where a private jet would take me to Dallas. A proposal that was both surprisingly sweet and terrifying all at once. Moving from spending almost zero time in the company of each other to him taking me to the airport? Leaps like that made my social anxiety skyrocket.

However, my feeble protests had been quickly squelched when he pointed out the fact that it was either this or A. buying my own ticket or B. not going at all and leaving Sookie to fend for herself.

So here I was, standing in the middle of Merlotte's parking lot with a Viking vampire who was looking down at me like he wanted to throw me up against the nearest wall and make all my dreams come true.

His nose twitched as he took a long breath, his eyes crinkling as he smirked. "What are you thinking of, lover?"

"Lover implies that we're having sex," I whispered, heat searing across my face. I looked away from those intense blue eyes. "Which we're not."

"Except for every night in your dreams," he murmured, drawing a step closer until I could feel the soft chill from him.

"That doesn't count."

"Did you cum?" His words were blunt and guttural, his gaze going heavy as he leaned down so that we were eye to eye. I opened my mouth and then closed it, shivering. His eyes crinkled more, his fangs clicking into place as his gaze traveled to my lips. "Then it counts."

God, this guy could melt the panties of anyone he wanted to.

"Where's the car?" I bit out, quickly changing the subject again as I glanced away, pretending to search the parking lot. A bit away the restaurant door opened with a tinkle, a pair of drunk humans stumbling out with a few loud belches.

"Car?" he murmured but his eyes were on the men, narrowing slightly as one gave a low whistle, his eyes on my ass.

In all honesty, the skirt did make my legs look fantastic.

"You said you were taking me to the airport." I blinked, surprised to hear a low rumble starting somewhere deep in Eric's chest, his eyes still firmly set on the pair of men. One of his hands curled possessively around my hip, yanking me closer to him. "Eric?"

"Damn, she's hot as fuck," one of the men slurred, stumbling a little bit closer. I flinched, something uneasy knotting my stomach as a full snarl burst from Eric.

"They're drunk," I whispered, tugging on the collar of his jacket. His neck corded as another low growl rumbled from him.

"They're irritating," he replied tightly, still glaring across the parking lot. He flashed his fangs in a toothy snarl. I sighed as the pair gave resulting yelps, their eyes wide as they stumbled away.

"That was unnecessary," I muttered, realizing that Eric had pressed me to his front, his arm wrapped around my waist.

His shoulders eased, a slow smile starting to curl his lips as his fangs flashed in the streetlight. "I enjoyed it." I rolled my eyes. A single brow quirked as he flipped his wrist, catching sight of his watch. "Your flight leaves in fifteen minutes."

"Oh my god," I gasped, panic flaring in my stomach. Shoving at him, I snarled. "Did you plan this, you asshole? We need to-"

"Pet," he broke in, looking highly unimpressed by my pushing as he kept me plastered to his front. "Don't insult me. I'm a vampire."

My heart stopped beating. I gaped up at him, suddenly realizing what he had in mind. And then I really started struggling, flashing my teeth. "OH HELL NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CARRY ME AROUND LIKE A BARBIE! YOU-"

I was starting to get hysterical. There were few things that I was really, truly scared of. Before today, I had never left Louisiana - never even left Bon Temp really. And now not only did this fuck head want to toss me into a tin can with wings but he also wanted to toss me over his shoulder and fly me to the airport himself.

Those blue eyes met mine, a stray strand of blonde hair falling as they twinkled down at me. "Hold tight, pet."

"You di-" The rest was lost in a shriek as my stomach slammed up into my throat, wind whipping my face until it was hard to breathe. There's something about being incredibly high and also going so fast that makes your body revolt. Your mind stops working. Your lungs stop working. And your heart goes into cardiac arrest.

Whether I wanted to or not, my body locked up, cinching tight around the nearest, most stable surface. And unfortunately, that was Eric. Or maybe, fortunately. All of my brain cells were going towards praying to whatever power there was in the universe to just not let me die to think about that right now. My arms closed around his neck, my legs wrapping around his waist until I was so tightly wrapped around him that I could feel the corded muscles of his stomach and chest press against my front. A low, appreciative rumble rolled through his chest into me as his arms tightened around my waist, broad hands squeezing down on my butt. Maybe in a different situation, I would have snapped out at him but at the moment I would take anything that he gave me that would keep me secured to him.

The muggy night of Louisiana dissipated the higher we got, turning from oppressive to dewy and then there was nothing but the wind whipping against me. It tugged at my hair, yanking at my scrunchie until it went tumbling into the open sky below us, down, down, _down_. I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking. If I thought about how far that scrap of rubber and cloth was falling, I was going to have a heart attack.

It went on forever, me clinging onto him as my hair whipped me in the face, punishing me for thinking that Eric Northman wouldn't have something shady up his sleeve. And then we were falling, dropping so suddenly that I gave another yelp, my guts cramming up to where my stomach.

And then... stillness.

"You're scared of heights." It wasn't a question. We were on solid ground now - I could see the tarmac for the planes and the signaling lights and they took off - but I couldn't move.

Woodenly, I nodded, my teeth chattering from the fear that was still pumping through me. _How pathetic_ , I thought weakly. Someone who could make people literally die from freight scared into a shivering, stiff mess.

"I...apologize…" The words seem foreign, his voice dipping as if he was uncomfortable with the words. Slowly, he made his way over to a nearby light post, sitting down heavily on the slab on concrete that made up its base. He had landed on a strip of grass just beside the runway, a little away from the hangar of an idling jet. "Runa?"

"You're an ass," I force out, feeling raw and tired. Like coming down from a serious workout. Unwanted, my head tipped down until I was curled into the strong line of his throat. Sea air and fir trees reached my nose, soothing me. He smelled like...home. I close my eyes, tired.

"Mister Northman," a deep voice says just a few feet away. Eric's hands tighten on my ass as he looks up, giving a small grunt. I force my head up too, catching sight of a skinny man with slicked-back black hair, dressed smartly in a suit. Resting beside him was my suitcase and purse. Huh. I hadn't even known that I had left it.

"Leave it there," Eric said by way of dismissal. By the way that the man disappeared, he was definitely a vampire too. One of Eric's hands rubbed up my back, drawing my attention. "There is a matter that we need to discuss before you leave to Dallas."

"We're going to the same place," I stated blandly, suddenly liking the idea of a comfy seat where I could curl into and fall asleep. Still, I forced my head up, meeting his eyes. His nose skimmed along mine, his breath cool against my lips.

"Yes but now we're both alone now," he murmured with a small smile that made my heart flutter. His hand was still rubbing slowly along my back, the other holding me tightly to his hips. Now that I could think properly, I realized just how close we were. I was spread across him, my thighs hugging his hips in a way that left no room for shyness. Against me, I could feel the hard press of his erection. My body tightened, hyper-awareness setting in. Unwanted, my eyes drifted to his lips. His next words were said on a smirk, white teeth flashing. "I have a feeling that that pesky sister of yours will be fluttering around you."

Dazed, I nodded, not really even sure of what he was saying. Who could think with a man like this in front of them? Softly, his thumb came up to chuck my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his own amused stare. "Pet, we need to talk about Lafayette."

I blinked. Talk about a mood killer.

"Um, excuse me?"

"His wounds have become infected," he stated bluntly.

"How do you know that?" At the tipping of a single brow and the flash of his fangs, I shook my head. "You know what? I don't even want to hear all the sordid details."

"Ah, pet, you love my sordid details." His smile was absolutely evil before his gaze grew serious. "I can offer my help to him."

My eyes narrowed. "What do I need to do?"

Eric's eyes narrowed as well, a silent debate waging inside of him before he looked away, jaw tense. "Nothing."

I blinked. "Nothing?"

"No," he gritted out, still not looking at me.

"No hidden clauses?" I pushed. "No trap cards?"

"None," he growled, shooting me a glare.

I stilled, taking in the hard planes of his face, the strong line of his jaw. He would heal Lafayette. For nothing. What benefit could that bring him?

"Why?" I asked, suspicious.

His jaw worked for a moment, the cords of his neck pulsing. Beneath me, his whole body seemed to give a roll. "I don't enjoy having you question every single one of my actions. It gets tiresome."

I continued to stare at him until he rolled his eyes. From his obvious irritation, it seemed like he didn't often have people press him for answers.

"You're fond of your friends and I'm fond of you," he stated blandly. "By process of elimination, I've gathered that it would make you extremely unhappy if one of them died. Which would make you unhappy with me since I may have shot him. Saving him means little to me and costs me nothing."

My brows went up. _Wow_.

Striking eyes searched my face, dipping to my lips as he drew in a deep breath. "Besides…" Gently, his hand came up to cup my face, a rough finger rubbing along my lower lip as his eyes darkened. "You're so fucking cute when you feel like you're indebted to me."

I didn't know whether to be turned on or annoyed. Either way, my sex was pressed against his hard erection, his palm unforgiving on my ass as he pressed me a little bit closer, forcing my thighs a bit wider. I was just as affected and if I was being honest with myself, I had been since I realized how close we were. Bubbling emotions churned inside of me, sparking and fizzling. Sometimes he said things… A whimper escapes me before I could help it.

Because I want him. I'd wanted him for so long that it hurts.

His eyes darken to a stormy grey, a short breath escaping him. "Fuck, pet. I can smell you." His voice was rough as he yanked me into him, no space between us anymore as I give an involuntary wiggle and he lets out a responding snarl. I arch into him as the hand on my back grabs onto my neck, dragging me closer. "How am I supposed to be good when you obviously want me to fuck you so bad?"

My own desperate arousal throbs frantically between my legs, making my hips jerk in a responding plea that made us both let out a groan. His nostrils flared, ravenous resolve darkening his eyes as his fangs clicked down. And I was drenched because I knew how those fangs felt in my dreams but here he was in real life and I just wanted him to-

"Miss Stackhouse." I jerk, dazed and confused for a moment as Eric let out a snarl, his eyes like the bluest flames.

" _What?"_ Eric hissed and I almost felt bad for the poor mortal quivering behind me.

"The plane…" he replied feebly.

There was a long moment of silence broken only by the nervously shuffle of the human. Eric took a long calming breath, his head bowing slightly as his hands tightened and loosened on my neck and ass like I was his own personal stress ball. Which wasn't helping my arousal level decrease at all. I bit my lip, trying to find some calm. And not rip off my underwear and embarrass myself.

Giving a small grunt, Eric straightened, his big hands keeping me tightly wrapped around his waist even as I gave a yelp of surprise.

"Eric," I hiss, trying to wiggle away only to have him drag me a little bit closer, his hips rolling into my sex enough to make me choke down a moan.

Each step is a lesson in torture as we make our way into the plane and to the private seating area. By the time he set me down, I'm almost out of my mind, the slickness between my thighs making me slippery.

I'm so lost in trying to wiggle a little bit more on him that I don't even know that we've made it to my seat until he peels me off of him, setting me down in the plush leather with a cocky smirk. Slowly, his eyes darted down to where my nipples are beaded through my sweater and then even lower to where my skirt has hitched higher than decency. Even though his lips are curled up there's a dark, serious tilt to his eyes that belies it as he leans down, his hands resting on either side of my chair.

"When we finally fuck, Runa," he murmurs, his mouth hovering over mine. "You're going to ask me for it. You're not going to fight and I'm not going to just give it to you - you're going to beg for it so until then…" His eyes lit with amusement, a small click breaking the heated air around us. "Buckle up."

And with that, he was stalking away, leaving me a frustrated mess in his wake. With my seat belt tightly fastened.

"Don't you ever fucking interrupt me again," I heard him growl just beyond the plane door to a stuttered apology.

* * *

_I hope you guys like it! Please REVIEW and follow/favorite. I don't know if I've emphasized this enough (just kidding, I know I have) but I love it when I get comments on my chapters. It makes me feel really good about where my stories are going and if my readers are invested. So yeah - PLEASE REVIEW._


	19. Hotel Carmilla

The Hotel Carmilla was a melty pot for all sorts of supernaturals mainly because it was the only vampire friendly hotel to grace Dallas or the whole of Texas for that matter. Normally, the segregation between humans and all of the things that went bump in the night was too extensive to allow for a place where humans and vampires could share a room across from each other.

Though from the matching designer label outfits that the staff was wearing and the chandeliers hanging in the entrance, Carmilla wasn't suffering from its openness.

"I have you down for a rooftop bed with open access to the sauna and spa." I resisted the urge to ask how much all of that was going to cost, swallowing down my initial terror as dollar signs flashed across my vision. The knowing smirk that the desk clerk was giving me was enough to make her thoughts clear. "Someone must really like you, Miss _Nott Elska_. Unique name."

Also not the one on my driver's license, I thought bitterly, pulling out my phone. "I'm sorry - could you give me a moment? The person who gave me the reservation-"

"Mr. Northman," she purred and I hated that appreciative sound more than I thought I would. Her eyes went wide as I let out a low hiss, my lips curling away to flash a peek at some seriously sharp teeth.

"Yep," I snapped, punching in his number. "That's the one."

"Really, pet you need to learn how to be without me for an evening," was my greeting as my call connected and I stepped to the side of the reception desk.

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to respond. "How much did all this extra bullshit cost?"

"About as much as your little driveway renovation," Eric replied casually and in the distance I heard the conversation of couples and the beeping of city traffic. Was he already here? Odd. Although it had taken him only seconds to get us to the airport so I suppose a two-hour plane ride from Bon Temp was of little grievance.

"I won't even use it," I hissed into the receiver, thinking about the basic sum of a new driveway. All that money for a facial and some steam. "We'll be too busy-"

"I told you that you won't be accompanying us in our search for Godric," came his low reply.

"And I told you that you can shove it and I can do whatever the fuck I want to," I snipped back, seeing a bit of red. How dare he? What was I supposed to do - sit back with some champagne while my sister went on some goose chase with him and Bill? I mean, fuck. Even _Jessica_ was invited.

A light breeze brushed along my nape and ear, the scent of trees and sea salt reaching my nose. "This isn't up for debate."

Eric gave me a warning glance, pulling away from where he was leaning over my shoulder to make his way over to the woman at the reception area who had been organizing papers suspiciously close to where I had been talking on the phone. And the blinding smile that she was flashing the 6'5" Viking made me want to gag. Ugh. Why wouldn't she? Bitches loved Eric.

Feeling like a petulant child, I followed after him with a scowl deep enough to permanently imprint into my skin.

" _Bonne soirée,_ " he rumbled and I resisted the urge to reach across the counter and rip this girl's eyes out as she gave a tittering giggle. Jealousy. Goddammit, I was jealous. The beginning of the end was quickly approaching and the catalyst was going to be this woman and her stupid fake eyelashes. " _La chambre de_ _Mademoiselle_ _Nott Elska est libre_?"

I sent him a withering glare as he raised a brow in my direction. Yes, Eric. We all could hear your flawless French. We were in awe of your very presence. Stupid asshole.

The desk clerks eyes flicked to me briefly before she replied. " _Bien sûr. Il a été demandé par vous, après tout._ "

I was not going to embarrass myself by asking what the fuck they were talking about. Instead, I feigned cold indifference, forcing my death glare down to a loose strand of my sweater. I. Hated. Him. So. Much. I ripped out the loose fabric, the thread quickly becoming longer as it ate away at the bottom of my sweater. Which made me ten times more enraged.

" _Très bon-_ " Eric started.

"Can't you speak in Swedish?" I snapped, unable to control myself. I winced as the clerk's brows went up, a delicate cough escaping her as Eric turned his big body towards me, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Oh, _fuck him_.

"She doesn't know old Swedish," he said with an even tilt to his words. Like he was trying to hide his own glee at my obvious agitation. "And you don't know French." He gave me a long once over before his lips curled up in a smirk. "It's the best of both worlds."

My hands gave a spark of purple as red flashed across my vision. I was going to- His hand snapped out, grabbing onto mine before the clerk could catch sight of my little outburst. His breath was cool against my burning ears as he leaned in. "Let's not do that out in the open, pet."

I scowled, staring daggers into the impeccable marble floors. He was right, of course. My hands stopped throbbing as I forced the energy back into my system, yanking back on that thread of power. His big hand stayed around mine as he continued on in French with the desk clerk who had gotten an irritating pout on her face.

After a few more moments of amiable chatter, Eric turned to me, picking up my suitcase and taking my bag gently from my shoulder.

"Did you tell her not to add all of that extra shit?" I asked as we made our way through the entryway of the hotel and to a corridor on the right.

Hotel Camilla had been renovated from a cheery bed and breakfast only a year ago, giving in its original sunny exterior to a darker theme. The entryway had a crystal chandelier and a set of grand wooden staircases off of it's double plated doors that were vaulted shut and sun-protected during the day. From the stairs, there was access to a lounge and library as well as an outdoor swimming pull that had its own waterfall and was themed after Havana nights.

At the moment, everything was open to the night sky, every window and skylight letting in moonlight and the city lights. But once dawn hit, this place would be dark enough to support the particular limitations that being a vampire provided.

"Since you'll be staying in the hotel area for the duration of your stay," he said on a sigh as we passed an elaborate display of glass cubes and went down a long hallway to where I assumed the elevators were. His eyes flicked to me. "No, I didn't."

"I'm not staying here, you ignorant-" I stopped, the smell of whiskey and something metallic reaching my nose just before we passed the open seating area for the bar. I halted, taking in the dark loveseats and the blood-red walls. Eventually, the front seating gave way to an equally red couch area and then a sleek, black marble bar keep area that was shot through with gold and scarlet. I was nearly frothing at the mouth. "Do you think they serve blood cocktails?"

"Is this all it takes to distract you?" I blinked, coming back to myself swiftly. I had just revealed a little bit more of myself to Eric and I wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not.

There were still areas that I was unsure about. General attraction was alright - maybe even a surface level deeper than that, to the like phase. But giving everything to a man like Eric Northman was dangerous. If he was dumb it would be easy. But he wasn't. He knew how lethal he was and that meant that not only was he deadly but that he was also secure. Vulnerability in both parties was the basis of a good relationship and I still wasn't sure if Eric could give me that.

"I'm a bartender," I muttered defensively, mentally marking down the bar's location so that I could return later tonight. He had that look in his eyes meant that he wanted to continue poking fun at me so I quickly changed the subject. "I can help you, you know. I'm not useless-"

"And that's precisely why you won't be dancing around the area 9 nest." His eyes met mine as he hit the button for the elevator, their depths swirling with startling earnesty. "You are far too valuable."

"And my sister isn't?" I snapped, slapping at his hand as he pushed me gently into the dinging elevator.

"Exactly," he replied simply.

I bit my cheek, staring grumpily at our reflection in the mirrored walls. He was significantly taller than me - bigger in every way actually. And despite the golden boy combination of blue eyes and blonde hair, there was a wildness that cut through that, making him look almost barbaric. And looking at my own reflection - the unruly matt of my black hair and my high cheekbones, the striking match of my icy eyes with my dark makeup - I could see that rabid edge there too.

And Eric's eyes were definitely on my ass. I glared into his skull from the mirror until his gaze slowly traveled upward, heated and heavy.

"Eye's up here, buddy," I snip. Don't get me wrong - it was flattering. But not in the middle of an argument. Right now I needed him to stop staring at me like he was ten seconds from sinking his teeth into my ass.

"There's plenty to stare at up top too, love," he drawled, his eyes running lazily along my face, lapping up every detail from my lips to the tilt of my ears. And then they settled on my breasts, his tongue running slowly along his lower lip.

"Pig."

"Angel."

The elevator gave a low ding, opening up to a vacant hallway with deep olive walls and a cliche plum floor. Huffing and blushing, I hurried out and to the left.

"Your room is this way, Runa," Eric called, sounding amused enough to get me agitated. Like I hadn't been before.

Grumbling, I followed him down the hall, knowing that later I would have serious trouble finding my room. "You can't stop me from coming with you tomorrow."

"I always enjoyed a challenge," Eric replied nonchalantly. Gritting my teeth, I jogged to catch up with his long strides, grabbing onto his arm to stop him. Slowly, a brow rose.

"I can handle this," I whispered, keeping his gaze. My fingers tightened around his wrists as if I could force some logic into him. Or maybe even perform a bit of mind-bending.

His eyes darkened to storm clouds and rolling waves. "Like you handled that _thing_ that attacked you and your sister?"

I wasn't prepared for that. Flinching, I let go of his hand like he was made of lava. What did I say to that? Shivers of awareness coursed through my body as I remembered the pain, the feel of someone else digging around inside of me. Closing my eyes, I tried to empty my thoughts. I had been pathetic. Worse than pathetic, I had been _useless_. So utterly useless. I hadn't been able to even save _myself_.

Cool fingers skimmed along my cheek, cupping my face. "Whatever took Godric is just as bad as the creature that attacked you and your sister."

I blinked back tears, wrestling with my own muddled memories and the throbbing of my shoulder and side. Slowly, I searched out his gaze, finding his eyes troubled and his brows knit together. "He's that strong?"

"Far stronger than even I," he whispered, his face solemn.

Something inside of me twisted. He wouldn't let me go with them. But he also didn't know what I could do. Showing him that would make our relationship so much more difficult. It would mean I trusted him. It would mean that he was carrying one of my secrets. Was I ready for that? Anxiety beat through me.

"Your room is here," he murmured, taking his hand away and gesturing at the door that we had stopped in front of. Eric's face was still drawn in tight, unhappy lines.

"He means a lot to you," I blurted out, feeling like I had seen something private.

Eric's face wasn't one that I would consider an open book. All vampires seemed too inhuman for such a term, the years dulling them to emotions. Which meant that if I could see it then those feelings ran deep.

What kind of man was Godric if Eric was this emotionally invested?

A silent war waged itself in Eric's eyes as he stared down at me, his hands tightening and loosening on the straps of my bags.

"Yes," he finally breathed, the admission sounding like so much more than that simple word. I waited, watching the vulnerability play across his face for a moment. "Godric… gave me life. He made me what I am today."

I blinked, taken aback momentarily. "He-he's your maker?"

Instinctively, I got out my key card and slipped it into the door, grabbing his arm and dragging him inside.

One of the great mysteries to humans was the process of becoming a vampire. When the epidemic struck America, the old tales of stories like Dracula and Interview with the Vampire struck through. A whole department of historians came out of the woodwork, trying to dissect the origins and rituals of modern vampires. But the rebirth of humans was a tight-kept secret.

Luckily for me, I had Sookie so I knew that the bond between a maker and progeny wasn't something to be taken lightly. In some ways, it sounded more like a master-slave dynamic. If a maker wanted to, they could order their progeny to go eat sunlight at any time. They can forever locate each other and can even feel when each other die. That kind of power… If Godric got into the wrong hands he could theoretically order Eric to do anything under the influence of someone else.

That thought was...terrifying.

Eric's eyes flicked to my shut door, an amused smile curling his lips before he turned back to me.

"He's your maker?" I repeated.

"Yes." There was that little smirk.

I gnawed at my lip, pacing back and forth. Not only was Sookie in some serious shit but so was Eric. And I could help. I could definitely help. Being used for my new abilities was the least of my worries at this point. Unwanted, my mind flashed back to his office room, my fever running high and the wounds on my back and side festering. Without him, I was sure I would be dead twice over - once from the attack and the next from my frankly stupid attempt to heal on my own.

"What if I could help you?" I asked hesitantly, stopping to stare up at him.

"Whether you can help or not isn't a question," Eric said on a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "The danger that would come when you inevitably have to use your abilities in the presence of mortals-"

"I know," I cut him off. "But what if I could help you more than you thought I could?"

Those blue eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, Runa?"

For a moment, doubt made me pause. Was I really going to do this? I mean this was Eric Northman I was talking about. A month ago I had basically been an on-call nightmare whore for him. But… I trusted him. What an odd thought. Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and dipped deep into that cauldron of bubbling darkness that was inside of me, hot shocks coursing through my stomach. Purple sparks pricked my fingertips, a zinging heat starting in my arms.

This was how it went. The pain right before…

Eric inhaled sharply, his fangs clicking down as he gave a snarl. His eyes dilated until there was only a sliver of blue around darkness.

Being invisible was a lot like using my other abilities - like letting my skin slip for a moment to reveal something deep and carnal inside of me. I was half beast in this form, barely clinging on to what made me human. Every part of my body was hyper-aware of the Viking standing just in front of me. And - I caught my breath, stepping towards Eric.

His lips curled away from his fangs as if he sensed me, his eyes flicking around the room. "I don't like these games, mare," came his low snarl.

He was irritated, I realized, glee making me almost dizzy. I shifted a little bit closer, sliding forward until I was almost chest to chest with him. He really couldn't see me. My fingers itched. What would he do if I touched him? I couldn't slide through people. I had done a series of trial and error tests after that night when Sookie had found me and it seemed like inanimate objects were the only thing I could go through. Without thinking, my hand raised, reaching towards the unforgiving line of his jaw. My teeth ached, my blood pumping hot with want.

I wanted to kiss him.

I wanted to fuck him.

I wanted-

Eric's fingers closed around my wrist, my abilities fizzling and dying just as my fingertips grazed over the rough cut of his jaw. His eyes were unforgiving as they stared down at me, shaking and dazed. In that form, I could barely control my base urges. I gulped down a breath. No. This had established that I definitely couldn't control my base urges.

"I - I could help you," I whispered raggedly, trying to regain whatever thread of thought I had had before. Eric's eyes had gotten darker, if that were possible, his hand clasped tightly around my wrist but not moving it from where it rested on his face.

"What were you about to do?" he asked, his words like gravel. I shivered, my breasts flattening against his chest.

How did I answer that? I couldn't admit that I lost my mind every time I went into that form. He definitely wouldn't agree to let me go if he knew that.

"N-nothing," I stuttered, looking away. "Just showing you-"

"That you could touch whatever you wanted?" he whispered and I winced before nodding rigidly, making his lips curl upwards. His voice deepened. "And if you were able to touch me, what after that?"

I reeled back, his hand staying tightly locked around my wrist so that I was yo-yoed back into his chest. His eyes burned into mine, the rough slide of his jacket and belt buckle across my abdomen, a reminder of just how few clothes separated our skin.

Heart fluttering, I shook my head, unable to come up with anything more than an incoherent jumble of thoughts. _I would have bit your lip. I would have slipped my hand into your hair. I would have-_

His breath blew cold and dewy across my lips, those eyes of his narrowing and then flicking down to my lips where they stayed. Lightly his lips pressed against mine, the hand holding my wrist going down to my waist as the other tangled in my hair, Step after step he guided me back until my back hit a wall, his eyes unflinching as he stared down at me.

"When did you learn how to do that?"

He was talking to me but with how close he was, those unforgiving lips moved against my own with every single word, making my insides cramp. Slow, torturous want started to build in my gut.

One brow quirked. "Runa?"

"I - um-" Desperately, I tried to track down my own thoughts. "A week."

Slowly, that hand moved down from my waist, teasing along the band of my skirt before kneading my ass. Each squeeze was a direct assault on my sex, a fire beginning to burn low inside of me. Cautiously, almost like he was scared that any movement would scare me away, he released me, his arms coming up to rest against the wall on either side of me. Caging me in but giving me enough room to duck away from him if I wanted to.

"If you want to touch me so bad, here I am," he whispers, his words rough as he runs a ravenous gaze over my body. The muscles of his shoulders roll, looking like he was somehow caged as well.

Mindlessly, my hands raised, hesitating for a moment before they were skimming along the smooth, hard column of his neck. As I watched, half in wonder, half in agony, a low growl pushed through his body, vibrating along my fingertips. Eric's head lowered, his nose skimming along mine until he was at my throat, his breath cool against my overheated skin. Blunt teeth scraped along my neck, the prick of his fangs only a light tease before he was kissing away the sting.

Choking on a moan, I arched towards him, my fingers curling into his hair to try and draw him closer.

"You smell so fucking good," he growled, the admission sounding angry on his tongue as he nipped at my collarbone, his arms still firmly planted on the wall. My fingers tugged on the strands of hair at his nape, making a rumble of approval vibrate through him.

His lips slanted over mine, his breath minty against my tongue. All I would have to do is lean forward. One of his hands curled into my hair, his eyes heavy with arousal.

"You're going to stay here tomorrow." The words were like ice water through my system, jolting me back to a colder state of mind. His eyes were hard as he stared down at me, that one hand still tangled in my hair.

"Excuse me?" My eyes narrowed dangerously, letting go of the chunk of hair I still had in my hand to shove at his shoulders. Eric's eyes darkened as I squirmed more, rubbing along his front in a wild attempt to get free.

"If anything this new ability means that you're _more_ valuable," he said softly.

"Yes," I said with a sarcastic smile, raising my brows. "Exactly. I'm valuable to _you_."

A deep sigh broke from him as I tried to squirm away some more. "And other people if they knew what you were or what you can do."

"You're not the boss of me," I snapped, slightly out of breath because of my struggle. "And I can do whatever the fuck I want to. So if I want to follow my sister to your little vampire hideout then _I will_."

A snarl curled his lips as he growled down at me, his eyes flashing. One of his hands came up to curve around my throat. Not hurting me, not even really pressing - just there… a reminder of who I was talking to. "I will keep you chained in my room if I catch you anywhere _near_ us tomorrow."

I bared my teeth up at him, returning his snarl. "I can go through inanimate objects, you arrogant ass. So chain me all you want."

His teeth gleamed dangerously down at me, his fangs flashing sharply. "Stay in the hotel, pet."

I sneered. "I'm not your lapdog, Eric."

"I've realized," he stated blandly. For a moment, we glared at each other. Finally, his hand squeezed down on my neck, his shoulders rolling before his fangs slowly clicked back although his eyes remained hard. "Stay hidden. Stay in the hotel-"

"I can stay hidden with you," I whispered insistently.

"With only a week of experience with this new ability?" he questioned, his eyes hard. "Have you tried to stay invisible all day?"

I flinched, his words containing a little too much logic. But the alternative was admitting he was right. And that wasn't going to happen. I implored him silently with my eyes. "I can help you."

"Yes," he murmured. "You can. But you won't. Not when there are so many people who could expose you for what you are."

"A mare," I finished bitterly and he tilted his head.

"Wild," he whispered. "You couldn't control yourself in that form. I could see it on your face when you appeared again."

My stomach dropped. How could he see that? Damn him. I bit my cheek, looking away to the sliver of light coming through my door from the hallway.

Strong fingers tugged at my hair gently. "Stay in the hotel."

I didn't answer, refusing to look at him as he waited a beat before pulling away from me on a sigh. I hated him for being right. And I hated myself for being so weak that I couldn't control my own powers and giving him the opportunity to be right.

"You won't risk yourself while I'm here to watch over you," he murmured, pausing for a moment before giving a braid in my hair a light tug and quietly leaving my room.

For a long moment, I stared at that sliver of light from under my door before stooping to dig around in my purse and getting my phone.

"Are you here?" Sookie answered, her voice giddy.

"Yeah." That sliver of light wavered, darkening as someone passed by. "When are you leaving tomorrow?"

* * *

_Here's a French translation! Compliments from the chef._

"Good evening _,_ " he rumbled and I resisted the urge to reach across the counter and rip this girl's eyes out as she gave a tittering giggle. Jealousy. Goddammit, I was jealous. The beginning of the end was quickly approaching and the catalyst was going to be this woman and her stupid fake eyelashes. "Is the room for Miss Nott Elska available?"

I sent him a withering glare as he raised a brow in my direction. Yes, Eric. We all could hear your flawless French. We were in awe of your very presence. Stupid asshole.

The desk clerks eyes flicked to me briefly before she replied. "Of course. It was requested by you, after all _._ "

I was not going to embarrass myself by asking what the fuck they were talking about. Instead, I feigned cold indifference, forcing my death glare down to a loose strand of my sweater. I. Hated. Him. So. Much. I ripped out the loose fabric, the thread quickly becoming longer as it ate away at the bottom of my sweater. Which made me ten times more enraged.

"Very good _-_ " Eric started.


	20. Area Nine Nest

What outfit would you pick out for your own funeral?

That was the main question in my mind when I had decided on an oversized hoodie and jeans. Preferably, I would be without a bra but some sacrifices needed to be in place to er on the side of logic.

Still, with a 300-pound block of muscle and Viking superiority staring down at you, I was confident that I would have felt uncomfortable in anything.

"I take it, you two didn't discuss tonight's arrangements," Bill drawled, his southern accent thickening under the noticeably tense atmosphere.

I crossed my arms, noting the way that Eric loomed over me, his face drawn into an expression that I would say… Well, he definitely wasn't _thrilled_ to see me.

"Oh, we discussed it," Eric murmured, his voice holding a sharp edge that would have cut any lesser human in half. His gaze was cutting as they ran over me. "As I recall, I told you that you would be staying at the hotel or-"

"Or you would chain me in your room in what I'm sure would have been a very romantic gesture," I cut off, forcing a sweet smile even though my insides were jittering. Clinging onto Bill, Sookie gasped, her eyes widening. I had chosen the wrong outfit, I suddenly realized. The hoodie was so big on me that he would be able to catch an edge if I tried to run away. "I chose to take it more as a gentle suggestion."

Eric let out a hiss, his eyes burning as he took a step closer to me. His next words were harsh, spoken in old Swedish. "Gentle? If that was a _gentle suggestion_ than this is about to be loud and clear, pet."

I bulked, giving him a flash of my teeth in my own snarl as he drew a little closer. "You try and manhandle me, buddy and I'll knock-"

A low snarl tore from Eric, filling the space between us as his fangs snapped down. Even though we were stuffed into an alcove near the front door of the lobby, some of the passing vampires flinched, their eyes dilating as some primal instinct told them that something very dangerous was creeping in the shadow. I returned his snarl with my own, my hands clenching as I bulked at the threat. If he thought that I was some meek, submissive damsel than he was about to have a rude awakening.

"Oh, will you two stop it," Sookie suddenly hissed, her eyes flicking around at all the unwanted attention that Eric and I were getting. Eric's eyes stayed on me, his lips curling up in an almost mocking challenge which only made me bristle even more. "We have to be at the nest in under an hour and at this point, you two will take three to just get over this argument."

"Or one second if Runa would just see some sense," Eric drawled out.

"Or two seconds if Eric would stop being a controlling ass," I snapped right back and Sookie gave a sigh, looking to Bill for help. I glared up at the big Viking of a man, debating my options. There was no way that I was letting my sister go into a vampire hive without coming with her. "If you don't let me come with you, I'll just follow behind using my powers."

"And I will stop you," he countered, flashing his fangs. "I can still track you using the blood you last took."

I gave him a grim, pitying smirk, leaning forward so that only he could hear my words. His eyes burned a heated shade of blue, his lids growing heavy as I ran a hand over his chest. "Can you? It's been a few weeks and I can barely even feel you slithering around in my head anymore."

His fangs bared in a feral snarl. "Then I'll simply hold you down and make you take my blood again."

"I'd like to see you try."

Sookie's heels tapped impatiently at the marble floor. "Oh for the love of Jesus. Runa, if you don't stop this nonsense-"

Eric's head tipped to the side as he gave me playful smirk. "Yes, Runa. Stop this nonsense."

"How about we come to an understanding," I suggested, decidedly ignoring his earlier comment. I splayed my hands in mock submission. "Here's my understanding: There is no such thing as me staying behind. I either come with you or I go straight to this crazy, religious camp-"

"You don't even know where-" Bill started and I held up a finger, a little bit miffed that he had butted in.

"Thank you for pointing that out, Bill." I gave Eric a innocent smile. " _First_ I go aroud town asking vampires and humans where this place would be, making me look _very_ suspicious and more than likely getting myself kidnapped-"

Eric's jaw tightened, his fangs glinting as a low growl echoed through his chest and into mine. It startled me for a moment - his closeness. When had we gotten so near each other?

"But not to worry because once I get the answer, I'll catch an uber straight there and destroy all the wonderful Christian murderers and save the day." I shrugged, playing it up as Eric's eyes ran a cold, cold blue. A few unruly strands of blonde hair fell across his forehead, making him look unfairly charming. In all honesty, if he didn't agree to this then I wasn't going to go gallivanting around Dallas making an ass out of myself. But - and this was a gamble - I was willing to bet that Eric wasn't going to even allow that possibility to happen. I flashed him a smirk, putting down my final bid with false bravado. "So, what's it going to be, cowboy?"

The silence that followed was so full of anger that I could almost taste it coating there air. For a moment, I savored it, relishing my sudden position of power. It was...flattering. More than flattering it was almost disarming to have Eric so utterly helpless at the prospect of my possible capture. For a moment, staring up into his brooding, angry face, I felt a threatening flutter in my stomach, an answering call.

" _Du är okunnig, huvudstark flicka_ ," he snarled, his temper rising for a moment as he cursed down at me. His knuckles bled of color as he spun, cursing out a string of violent Swedish before he turned back to me, jabbing a finger at me. "You will stay by me. You will not speak. You will not reveal yourself to be anything but my lover-"

I spluttered, bulking. "Excuse me?! Your wh-"

"Lover," he growled, stepping closer as he crowded me against the nearest pillar. "Why else would I have you with me? You will be my human lover for the remainder of the trip-"

"How about I'm a hired human like my sister-" I started, jabbing a finger back at him.

"How about you stay in your room like a good little mare?" he growled right back. "You wanted to come play detective, you've gotten it and this is my counter offer-"

"How flattering," I seethed. But I was already conceding. It would be the best bet to pretend to be a helpless fuck toy for the great Eric Northman if he would be hovering around me like a guard dog. Even this...was revealing. It meant that the vampires we were going to be with weren't to be trust. Which was an absolutely joyless revelation.

"And if you even spark up while your in that house-" His silence was enough to complete the sentence. "Do we understand each other?"

Sookie sent me a mental zing, her gaze murderous. Obviously she was impatient to get going. Forget the fact that her sister was all but selling herself off as a fang banger for the duration of the trip.

I worked my tongue along the sharp edges of my teeth, staring daggers up at the giant in front of me. "Yes," I forced out tightly.

" _Bra_ ," he snapped right back and for a moment we were left to glower at each other in stubborn silence. Slowly, I saw his shoulder ease, his hands unclenching as he forced himself back to that nonchalant control that he seemed to wear around him like a cloak.

"Well, now that that's settled…" Sookie breathed, smoothing a hand over her red bandana print dress. She looked like a rodeo queen in that get-up, her hair delicately coiled to one side of her face.

I turn, ready to walk out of the door behind them and away from the maddening presence of Eric Northman. A deep rumble makes me pause. "One more thing."

A squeak bursts from me before I can stop it, strong arms catching my arm and spinning me before I can even think. "What-"

There's no hesitation, no pause or consideration as he takes my lips, one of his arms slinging around my waist so that he can lift me to his lips. For a moment, my mind spins dumbly, letting him bite down on my bottom lip, those long fingers of his free hand-knotting into my hair. He's a bruiser of a man, his kiss mirroring the unforgiving nature of his personality.

"Open," he mutters against my lips, his blunt teeth nipping at my bottom lip in reprimand when I don't obey him immediately.

But I do, dumbly, my eyes still wide open in shock as he grunts out his approval. What an arrogant man, I think moments before our tongues meet and my mind goes completely, deliciously blank.

Kissing before Eric… Everyone always writes about it like it's the best part of a relationship like every moment after the formation of a couple is on the shaking edge of that moment. Like kissing and sex are the ultimate outcome. In my experience with the boys from Bon Temp, that was the farthest thing from the truth. Kissing had always been a chore, a step that needed to be climbed before you could get to the good part. The fucking part. It was an awkward combination of saliva and teeth. And then tongue - ugh, tongue. Most guys treated it like a serpent that was trying to burrow into its new home. A disappointing beginning to an act that usually ended in a mediocre orgasm at best. And if I was being honest 90% of that outcome came from my singular efforts.

But Eric - Eric kissed like he was conquering. He pillaged and took and barely gave enough time for me to think as his tongue ran along time, his fingers digging into my hair as he tilted my head for better access. He kisses like it isn't a step at all. He kisses as if he's already inside of me as if we're already making love.

I lose all conscious thought other than his chest against mine, my fingers diving into his hair, dragging him closer to me. His teeth sink into my lip again, a low groan vibrating from his mouth to mine before he's taking my mouth once more.

He's teasing me, I realize, dazed and frustrated as I try to rub against him, desperate for any sort of friction my aching breasts. Aching everything really. He's setting me on fire, holding me far enough away to burn me gently. Against my lips, I feel the tell-tale tilt of his as he lets me up for air.

"There we go." I blink, dazed, my mind blurry as I try to regain my bearings. Slowly, almost affectionately his nose rubs along mine, his arm still keeping me glued to his front as he massages my nape with his other. "Horny and smelling like me."

My mind's a mess at the words, heat rising in my cheeks even as I try to muddle through the meaning. He gives a low coo, rubbing my back as if he senses my confusion and is amused by it. Even so, I can feel the very large evidence of his own reaction to our kiss against my hip. He isn't unaffected either.

"I hate to interrupt this frankly heart-warming display," a voice drawls from somewhere behind Eric. In the heat of the moment, he had somehow maneuvered me around so that his big body blocked the rest of the lobby from view. Which included Bill and Sookie. "But we are about to be late to Area 9's nest."

Eric's lips meet mine for a slow kiss, his attention-stealing any coherent thought once more and making my heart go crazy. My thighs press together as I try to ease some of the ache. Grunting, Eric pulls away once more, his eyes running over me with a singularity that has my head spinning. If he wasn't so infuriating, I would think that I loved him. But… He would like that thought too much.

"Ready to fly again, pet?" Ah, there it was. The clouds cleared quickly, my heart seizing as he gave a slow smile.

The Area 9 nest had a lot of windows.

In fact, it had a lot of everything - windows, chandeliers, monochromatic color schemes. It was the farthest thing from Fangtasia (the only other vampire lair that I could bring to mind) that I had ever seen. The whole house seemed to be owned by a pair of well-to-do relators with six happy children and a dog.

It had been a shock when a few younger vampires had led us to an area big enough to offer itself as a greeting room with a long dining table, a comfy, gray couch, and a roaring fireplace.

"You should have told me Eric hired a fucking human, Isabel." And that was where the charm ended because there was nothing pleasing or welcoming about the two vampires that had been there to greet us.

Apparently Eric mirrored my thoughts because he had kept a protective hand on my back through the entire, awkward greeting and the following explosion.

"Now wait just a minute," my sister started, obviously offended. I didn't entirely blame her either. Right when I had seen the dark-haired, dark-eyed vampire dressed up in what had to be a child's cowboy outfit tailored to fit a grown man, I had been offended as well. There was a singularly displeasing way that Stan Baker held himself that all but screamed haughty contempt. Which was rather ballsy considering the fact that I was pretty sure Bill and Eric could rip out his spleen in two seconds flat.

"Respect her," Bill snarled and I sensed Eric's growing frustration in the way that his fingers bit into my hip. My eyes moved to the quietly seething giant, his own gaze hawk-like and hateful as he eyed the two Area 9 nestmates.

Sookie gave Bill a shy smile. "Thank you."

"I couldn't tell you, Stan." And there came the second vampire of our welcome party, dressed like she was ready to walk down the aisle in an all-white dress, her hair pulled into a coy bun at her nape. Classy may have been a way to describe her but there was something altogether unappealing about her that made it hard to appreciate her presence. I narrowed my eyes on her, trying to pin it down. "You've been off on your own for days."

There it was. Like a scorned lover that you had to live with, her own bitter hatred almost seemed to roll off her. I frowned, my eyes flicking back to the impressive mass of Eric standing just a bit behind me, his expression cloudy. It was odd - these vampires. For Godric to have gone from a creature like Eric to these two - I resisted the urge to scoff.

"Are you certain Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun?" Eric finally cut in, obviously growing tired of the petty bickering. His chin tipped up a bit and I noticed the stance. He was putting on the face he used when he was trying to keep his temper in check, aloof, calm.

"Yes," Stan answered immediately, earning a sharp glare from Isabel.

"No," she retaliated.

"Well, that's helpful," I muttered, earning a sharp look and a tug on one of my braids from Eric.

Stan's eyes scanned over me in an altogether flattering manner - as if I was a rat that he had just found in his closet nibbling on his cowboy boots. The glance was over within a second, dismissed as if he was totaling me up and finding me lacking. From the low snarl from Eric, the glance wasn't lost on him either. Stan barely blinked. "They're the only ones with the organization and manpower."

"But they're amateurs," Isabela argued and I forced myself to look anything but bored to tears at the back and forth. "It doesn't make any sense. This is Godric we're talking about. 2000 years old."

I blinked, taken aback. I had assumed that Godric was old since Eric himself was already a powerful vampire but for the age to be actually spoken…

"Old don't make you smart," Stan drawled and I felt Eric's fingers go rigid with anger as he resisted the urge to walk across the room and tear out the vampire's tongue.

Isabela seemed just as agitated as she took a breathe, keeping her own train of thought. "Besides there's no proof."

Sookie's eyes met mine across the room, her brows going up as if she were asking me if I believed this. Petty. Disorganized. And apparently unable to agree with each other at even a base level. If this was what Godric had been listening to for the last 200 years, no wonder he disappeared.

"If they've got him, I'll hear it," Sookie piped up, obviously trying to push a bit of positivity into the exchange. "That's my job."

Isabela's brows furrowed a bit, her attention obviously caught by my sister.

Stan, however, was another matter entirely. "There's no reason to wait."

"This is ridiculous," Eric growled softly to me. A pang of sympathy burst through me before I could stop it. Obviously these squabbles were driving him out of his mind. He loved Godric, I realized. In the way that someone loves their own blood, their creator and protector.

"We need to take these fanatics down," Stan was saying, his words tinged with self-righteous rage. "Full-out attack." The sigh that Isabela gave was enough to cue everyone in on the fact that this wasn't the first speech Stan had given on the subject. "Exterminate them like the vermin that they are, leave no trace."

Eric's eyes met Bills over my head, his jaw tightening against whatever he was thinking. The two seemed to almost share a thought at that moment. Maybe something along the lines of: This Stan guy's a real dickweed and I wouldn't follow him even if he said he was leading me to the promise land.

"Hmmm," Isabela hummed sarcastically. "Vampire-hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it? _Fucking brilliant_."

Bill's shoulders rolled, his neck popping as he shifted. "I doubt the King of Texas would approve of the destruction of our international political agenda."

"This is a fucking waste of time," Eric muttered and I could feel the mounting anger that was boiling up inside him like a volcano that had waited a bit too long to erupt.

"Fuck that," Stan drawled. Hm. How did I guess that he was also against any relations between humans and vampires either? Guy had to be having a rough go in the sack too since he was altogether detestable. "The great revelation is the biggest mistake we ever made."

Isabela whirled, baring her teeth up at Stan. "Don't use Godric to make your own little power play."

Eric's growl reverberated off the walls as he let go of me, his body tensing with barely leashed violence as he moved to stand just in front of me. "You're completely incompetent!" Sighing, I peeked around his bulky side at the two befuddled vampires. "What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?"

"We invited you as a courtesy." Oh no. I snarled, baring my teeth as Isabela stalked forward, her body coiling in on itself like a serpent ready to fight. How dare she speak to him like he was the outside here? My mind went nearly blank at her next words. "This is not your territory. You have no voice here."

My hackles raised as she got closer, my body moving on its own as I lunged forward, coming in contact with Eric's arm before I could meet her halfway. I could feel his eyes burning into my skull with a warning, a reminder of our deal. Fuck the deal. How _dare_ she?

Chocolate eyes met mine, a silent dare goading me past any rational thoughts.

"How dare you?" I hissed, slipping under Eric's arm swiftly enough that for a moment he was surprised enough to let me. She better be glad that he had positioned across the room, behind a couch. I jabbed a finger at her, not caring that her eyes were wandering over me in a feral sort of interest. Eric growled something to me in Swedish, regaining himself as he slipped a restraining arm around my waist. "Whose voice is represented in this room then? All I see are two children who can't even decide upon their next meal time much less the next step to regain Godric." Isabela's eyes narrowed, her mouth opening. I sneered. "Don't think for a second that the reason you called us here was from anything but desperation. You have no clue how to regain Godric and you're frantic for help so don't you _ever_ talk to Eric like that again."

Isabela's brows raised, her smile mocking. A smile I was about to wipe off her face in two seconds - I felt my blood rising to a fever pitch, my powers responding in kind.

Slowly, dismissively, her eyes slid to Eric. "You have a good pet, I see." She winked. "Best to get a muzzle though."

Eric's fangs clicked down, my back vibrating with the force of his snarl. "Interesting suggestion. Perhaps your pet would be open to the same advice."

"Better yet," I bit out, watching as her eyes ran black with rage. "Why don't you put us in a room. See who comes back without a tongue in the end."

"How dare you-" Her fangs clicked down as she jolted forward, the only thing stopping her being Stan's sudden appearance at her side, his hand branding around her forearm.

"As I recall," he bit out. "We didn't need you or your puppets to come around and offer up useless threats-"

"I am no one's puppet," Sookie hissed from her place across the room, her cheeks coloring with rage.

Bill stepped forward, his hands spreading out as if he were offering a silent truce. I glowered, my eyes still locked with Isabela's. I was about to tear those pretty, gold earrings right out of her lobes.

Bill's voice was tired, practiced. "What we need is a plan."

"I _have_ a _plan_ ," Stan snapped, clearly irritated that his mass murder idea was being so thoroughly ignored.

And just like that Isabela was turning back on her nest-mate. "It's not a plan, it's a _movie_!"

"It's not a movie, it's a war," Stan said gravely.

I resisted the urge to laugh, rolling my eyes as Eric's arm loosened around my waist, instead of drawing me to the curve of his side. His eyes met mine, their depths revealing a bit of his own exacerbation.

"Have we fallen into an early 2000s teen drama?" I grumbled.

He grunted, his fangs retreating with some effort. Quietly, he switched to Swedish. "What did I tell you? Do you love to put yourself in danger or do you do it to vex me?"

I blushed, resisting the urge to pout. For a moment, I wrestled with my own emotions, trying to decide on the best course of action. "She was being disrespectful."

A long silence followed, thick enough for me to second-guess my own words. Finally, a gentle tug on one of my braids was the only response I got. I resisted the urge to purr in satisfaction.

"Don't either of you care that there is a traitor in your midst?" Bill's voice suddenly cut through the quiet moment that we had created.

I blinked, coming back to the present with startling clarity.

Stan blinked, obviously offended by the thought. "No."

Isabela was quick to follow. "Impossible."

"Someone tried to kidnap me from the airport," Sookie supplied, agitation making her words sharp. Sookie had filled me in the night before, assuring me that everything had been fine and that while it was a close call, it had been a near-harmless encounter. How quickly it could have gone south still jarred me.

"You were the only ones that knew she was coming," Bill hedged.

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling Eric straighten to his full height beside me. "Explain."

The shock was instantaneous and altogether disheartening as usual. They whirled on each other like children.

"Unless it was you-"

"Unless it was you-"

Sookie let out a grumble and I groaned. "Look, if ya'll argue any more I'm either going to fall asleep or start screaming so this is what we're going to do: I will infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun."

I grinned, meeting her eyes as Eric's brows raised. If I wasn't sure that it wasn't in his genetic makeup, I would think that that looked like he was mildly impressed with my sister. I grinned at her. "I love it when you get bossy."

Her eyes flicked to Eric teasingly. "Yeah. It does seem to be a kink of yours."

I blushed. Touche.

Bill, however, was completely and utterly _un_ -thrilled with the idea. He whirled to her. "Absolutely not."

Eric yawned. "Let her speak."

"Since Bill glamored the kidnapper, no one now knows who I am," she explained. "I'll pretend I want to join the church and check out all their thoughts."

"No," Bill snapped. "During the day none of us can help you."

I raised my hand. "What am I? The laundry lady? I can help." From Eric's snort, it was more than clear that that statement was up for debate. I sent him a glare, turning to stare up at him. "What? Am I not allowed to go out past bedtime now too?"

His jaw tightened. "I think you already know the answer to that."

"Well, the good news is that neither of you can stop us," Sookie snapped and I smirked up at the now thoroughly agitated Viking in front of me.

"Waste of time," Stan grumbled, brushing past Isabela to go to the fireplace where his hat lay. Eric's eyes rolled heavenward, seemingly praying for patients. "When we could drink them all. I want no part of this."

And with that, Stan walked out the door.

"Toodles!" I called sarcastically, earning me another warning glance from Eric. Yeah. Like he was a fan of Stan's either.

Isabela barely even batted an eyelash. "There's no easier way to find out if they're involved."

Eric nodded. "If it leads us to Godric, we'll do it." The way that his eyes lingered on me was a clear signal that this conversation on my end at least was not over. But for the moment, he let it rest, his gaze moving to where Bill stood, looking like a pinned butterfly. "The decision's made."

* * *

**_Please review! I absolutely love hearing from you guys._ **


	21. Hard-Hearted Hannah

_Something's coming._

I let out a breath, reaching for my sister on instinct as we neared the lobby of Hotel Carmilla. My teeth ached, something cruel and feral crawling along my skin like a fever. Instinctively, I reached out, catching across the nightmares of the people around me and finding only bland normalcies and petty grievances. This one was scared of meeting his lover's maker. That one wondered if she had drank too much from that girl last night - _but she had tasted so good_.

"What is it, Runa?" Sookie murmured to me, turning from where Bill stood silently behind her, his eyes grim as they scanned over me.

I didn't answer, seeking out Eric's gaze as if on instinct before remembering that he had stayed behind to speak to Isabela alone. He had still found the time to give me a quiet warning though.

"If I come back to that hotel and find that you've gotten yourself into more trouble, I swear to every god, goddess and underling that I will make sure you regret it," he had snarled down at me, his eyes glinting as I stared up at him in mild boredom. I assumed his foul temper came from the fact that he had had to also tell Bill that evening about Godric's being Eric's maker. A risk that had had to be taken in order to keep my sister's talents in this mission.

I gave him a toothy grin, running a hand up his arm boldly. His eyes darkened, that predatory gaze following the trail of my fingers as it ran over his forearms to the bulge of his biceps and then across his shoulders before I let them play across the short hair at his nape.

It was a light guess that he had felt no one's fingers along the bare skin of his nape yet because of the newness of the haircut.

I felt the quick draw of his breath as he gave a soft gasp, his eyes growing hooded. The response was more enticing than I had bargained for. I smirked, watching him closely as he gave a snarl, his fangs clicking down. Looking furious. Looking like he wanted to do very, very bad things.

"I'll see you at the hotel, big boy," I promised, winking as I forced myself to turn away, leaving him where he stood, furious and sounding like a caged bull.

I had wanted to stay as well but… Well, that seemed like something an actual lover would do. And Eric had seemed eager to get me back to the hotel where he had promised me that there would be a discussion later. Joy. I loved it when we _discussed_.

My brows furrowed as that tiny niggling voice gave a silent wail, making my skin crawl. But...I searched around once more. Nothing. Nothing abnormal just the average debauchery.

"I-" I stopped, fighting back my anxiety as I turned back to my sister, giving her a searching glance. Had she heard anything? No. By the concerned, widening of her pretty eyes, she hadn't even been looking. Usually, especially insidious thoughts broke through her barriers… I blinked, gulping. "Nothing. It's nothing. Just tired. And - and nervous for tomorrow."

A single brow rose as Bill gave me a small tilt of the lips. "I had assumed that Eric would have dissuaded you from that particular plan."

"He hasn't had the chance," I murmured distractedly, taking another long glance around.

The plan was simple. Sookie and I would be going into the Fellowship of the Sun a new recruit - Sookie playing the God-fearing Christian that needed a spa day and the safety of a vampire-free church - and myself as the invisible backup. I had made a deal with Eric to get him to even agree to that little bit. The deal being that I would remain behind until Sookie called for me. In all honesty, she should only need to get a little tour and read a couple minds on the way to see if she could find out if Godric was even there.

Once we were sure on both the location and certainty of his presence, then Eric and Isabela would have a nice chat with the good, little kidnappers and then it was a ticket back to Bon Temp. Plan complete. No fuss.

Which meant that Eric's ultimate plan was to lock me up in the hotel until this whole thing was over. Genius if you really thought about it - giving me a compromise that wasn't really a compromise.

"Runa." I flinched, yanked back to reality at my sister's soft, cajoling voice, her hand rubbing along my arm. Her eyes were wide, brown pools, running over me in long sweeps that made it all too clear what she was thinking about. She was thinking about when we were little and she had to sleep with me because I would wake up screaming, unable to control my abilities. Or maybe about my nervous breakdowns in school, my screaming fits, and hysteria when some other kids came in with bruises under their clothes. "What's going on?"

I gnawed at my lips, shifting on my feet for a moment as I took one more furtive look around the lobby. Nothing. _Still_ nothing. But my teeth felt like they were being drilled into with a rusty sickle probe and my stomach was turning in that way that it did just before I dreamed of the other mares.

I tugged her to the elevator, itching to be in the privacy of my own room where the doors locked and the walls were made of concrete. Sookie and Bill followed warily, sharing a silent glance as the elevator dinged and we stepped inside.

"Something's… not right," I finally forced out, feeling edgy and sick all at once. I ran a firm hand along my nape, wincing. "I felt something when we came inside - like a - a call or a warning or - I can't explain it. But all I know is that something's not right." I turned to her, grabbing onto her hands. "Promise me that you'll be careful tomorrow."

Her eyes searched mine out, her face tight with worry. "Of course. You know I will… I just don't understand, Runa. What's going on?"

Words crawled along my tongue like little insects that wanted to make a permanent residence in my mouth. I wanted to give her an answer. I wanted to have an answer to that myself but… I shook my head as the elevator doors dinged open, my hallway waiting quietly behind me. "I don't know, Sookie. But something's coming and I don't think we're going to like it."

* * *

I gasped, jerking awake, fumbling with my own thoughts for a moment in the panting confusion of wakefulness for a moment. I had gone back to the great tree in my dreams. I knew it. I could still taste the frigid dew of the mountains on my tongue. Thank god, none of my sister's had been there with their cryptic little messages.

2 A.M. the clock blinked at me, shining lowly in the moonlight that I had allowed in my room. The room that Eric had paid for was lavish, the sheets made of some otherworldly silk that made my skin feel like gravel. Too nice for the likes of me with my clothes sprawled across the sitting area just a few feet away, the floor to ceiling windows making my room look like a sad after-party.

Beside me, my phone buzzed a quick call. It had been a few hours since we had gotten back and I had fallen into my bed after shucking off my jeans and bra. In all honesty, the meeting at the Area 9 nest had been short and to the point even with the bickering.

_Hotel bar. 15 minutes._

_Eric_. I glanced at the clock again, confirming the time. Where had he been since midnight? Two hours talking to Isabela? Plausible. Maybe even palatable if it weren't for the fact that I was not exactly her biggest fan. And I had thought Eric was of the same mind.

I got out of bed, running a hand through my wavy, knotted hair, catching on the array of braids with a wince. I had had them in for a day or two now and they were starting to make my scalp hurt. Grumbling, I yanked on my jeans, highly irritated that I had to not only put on pants but also a bra if I wanted to be decent.

I stalled out in front of a mirror just across my room, catching sight of the smeared charcoal makeup that lightened my eyes to a thunderous. My lips were chapped, near cracking and as I watched they parted just enough to give a view of my sharp teeth. Frumpy. A little too chaotic to be completely sane. Wild, that's what Eric had called me. I shrank from my reflection, trying not to let my own insecurities make me burrow back into my bed.

In Bon Temp, it was easy to ignore my oddities mainly because everyone there was a little over the edge. No one seemed to actually want to be in the small town. Instead, the people of Bon Temp walked around like they were tethered to the ground, unable to see beyond our borders. Oddities sprouted up like the moss on the trees.

But here in Hotel Carmilla, where everything was elegant, it was hard for me to feel comfortable. I hated how outlandish I was as I passed by a couple in the hallway, their eyes widening a bit as I slunk by. I hated how tall I was as the elevator opened silently and I was faced with four walls of myself, lean and angular.

Now that I thought about it, why exactly was I going downstairs in a hotel filled with incredibly attractive people to meet the most attractive one of them all?

 _Ding_!

Well… Gulping, I stepped out of the elevator. One thing that my grandmother didn't raise was a wimp. Maybe a homicidal psycho, a pervert and a naive fang-banger (guess which one I am) but not a wimp.

" _In old Savannah, I said Savanna_ h…" The voice was a bit too manly for the song, brash over the frilly embellishment of the piano. Sighing, I sidestepped a particularly lengthy brunette, her lips lush and glossed beneath the low light.

For a moment, I paused, taking in her height and the straight set of her back. She towered above almost everyone who passed her and was even an inch or so taller than me. The dismissive way that her eyes stayed completely forward, completely ignoring the people around her, was evidence enough of her personality. But there was a cruel glint in her dark eyes that contrasted dramatically with the altogether sophisticated aura that she gave off. Vampire. Definitely vampire. My powers sparked for a moment and I was mildly surprised to find her nightmares to be centered around one person. Her maker.

I pulled back, revolted by the few images that filtered to me before I could shut myself off to them. Horrible. One of the worst that I had come across.

"Meet anyone interesting on your way here?" I blinked, pulling back from the automatic response that my body had gone into. While I had been riffling through that woman's subconscious, I had kept up my pace, turning into Hotel Carmilla's bar area and coming almost immediately into contact with Eric.

Looking thoroughly annoyed, the Sheriff of Louisiana's Area 5 was an imposing figure in a room of imposing figures on the expensive red couch that sat at the far corner of the bar area. He was still dressed in his earlier outfit minus the leather jacket which lay discarded on the seat next to him in an obvious repellent to anyone seeking company. A short table and three leather stools sat just in front of him, his long legs nearly overtaking the area.

Briefly, I debated the pros and cons of sitting next to him. Pro: being near Eric was always a pleasure. Con: it would make me look like a blood hooker. Pro: I wouldn't have my back to the lobby of which the bar area dissolved into. Con: being near Eric made me think, nasty, dirty thoughts and more often than not I gave in to those. That last one could be considered under both categories if I was being completely honest.

I flopped onto the couch, landing comfortably onto his leather jacket. "I should have known that you had something up your sleeve."

For a moment, his eyes strayed to where my ass was squashing his jacket into the couch an amused glint lighting his tired, blue eyes before he was smirking over at me. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"The girl," I clarified, waving a waiter over. "Cruel eyes. Tall. Generally dislikable. Who is she?"

"What can I get you, Miss?" He was a cute one with curly black hair and a quirky smile. A little less harsh than I thought you would have to be to work in a vampire hotel. Hell, I worked in Bon Temp and I looked like I was ten seconds from slicing out someone's kidney on a good day.

For some reason, his general look of vulnerability made me feel bad for him. I gave him a pitying smile. "A coke and all the blood cocktails that you have."

Eric gave a short grunt, the sound somewhere between a laugh and disbelief while the waiter blinked, his eyes flicking between the hulking Viking and me and then back. He did that about three more times before he finally cleared his throat, ducking back behind his notepad. "We have about ten versions-"

"Wonderful!" I exclaimed, giving him a cheeky thumbs up and a wink which made his cheeks turn a ruddy red. I was almost positive that having anything other than predatory consideration threw him for a loop. Eric's eyes darkened, his smile going a bit sour.

"I-They'll be out in a few moments," he stuttered out, blinking a few times but staying rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on my face.

Eric's fangs snapped down in an instant, his smile deadly. "Bye."

That got him going, poor thing. In truth, his attention was probably less from my stunning physical appearance and more from the fact that I was hanging around a powerhouse like Eric and actually seemed _happy_ about it. Rather morbid wasn't it?

"That wasn't very nice," I admonished, settling back into the corner of the couch so that I could face him more fully. Not that he was looking at me, however. His eyes were still tracking the little human waiter, probably dreaming up ways that he could use his bones in his home decor. I sighed, reaching out a hand to nudge his shoulder. "Who is she, Eric?"

Slowly, his eyes drew back to me, looking all the more brooding and pouty as he retracted his fangs. "An old acquaintance of mine named Lorena Krasiki. She, my little mare, is Bill's maker."

I perked, leaning forward in shock. How had-? Well, Eric had obviously invited her to the Carmilla for - for what? Only personal gain. Perhaps a bit of tit for tat in all honesty. It was a powerful weapon to know a vampire's maker and an even more powerful one to have them at your beck and call. Bill would be sure to receive Eric's message loud and clear.

My eyes narrowed, my tongue working along the sharp edges of my teeth. While I appreciated his strategic maneuvering, I did not appreciate where it put my sister. "If I didn't have all the faith in the world for you, I would say that you're trying to stir up trouble, Mr. Northman. Trouble doesn't seem particularly wise at this point in finding Godric."

Mulling my words over, his gaze flicked lazily around the bar area, his eyes red-rimmed as if he had been sleeping far less than he should. Finally, he met my gaze again, his voice deep and sure. "When I first met Bill he was flitting around San Francisco with Lorena, torturing and draining prostitutes. They made their way through America like animals, slaughtering people mindlessly."

I reeled back, absorbing the information like a physical blow, flinching as I thought about my sister sleeping in the same bed with him. Did she know? She couldn't. Not to the extent that Eric was describing. Eric took in my expression much the same way that he took in the world around him, calm, analyzing.

It made me want to punch his lights out.

"Why are you telling me this?" I gritted, finding it increasingly hard to sit across from him. "And why exactly did you bring a homocidal spawn of satan here with her obsession in the same bed as my sister?"

 _You better have a good fucking reason, buddy_ , I silently warned, my temper warming to a near fever pitch as he eyed me.

"Lorena's temper has always been uncontrollable. She's like a child with a toy most days, playing happily until someone takes it from her." His message was clear in the way that his eyes ran over me, the muscles in his arms bulging as he leaned closer to me, looking all the more like a wolf in the chicken coop. In the low light of the bar, his eyes were luminous, a strikingly feral shade of winter blue. And… I drew in a breath scenting the air as he continued. "It was a matter of time before she came searching out her progeny. She's been content these last years to idle away, periodically checking upon him to make sure that he hadn't settled but he has, Runa. He's found Sookie and he intends to hunker down no matter the cost."

I gave a sarcastic smile. "And you've just boosted along the process? How _helpful_."

"Spare me your self-righteous sarcasm, lover," Eric drawled, quirking a brow. I bit back a snarl, wanting to reach across the small space between us and wrap my fingers around his neck. It wouldn't do much considering the fact that my powers didn't work against him but he might humor me for a moment and allow me to ease some of my frustration. "You knew full well that Bill didn't have a clean slate-"

"Knowing and having it dragged to a hotel that he's staying at and goaded into action are two _very_ different things, _Mr. Northman_ ," I snapped, riled beyond belief. He was the only one that could poke and prod me into this state, nearly rabid with my own emotions. I held his hard stare as the waiter came back and placed my drinks upon the table in front of us. By the end, I could hardly see the glass top beneath the various wine glasses on the table, assorted candied ornaments floating in the scarlet liquid.

Blue waves seemed to crash against the darkness of his pupils, dragging me down until I could taste the frigid, arctic water. I had drowned too many times in his eyes. In my dreams, I had traced along his lashes, watching as the tempest turned into gentle waves that had lulled me into a deeper sleep.

I knew his rage like it was my own. For a month, I had cajoled it, poked it into embers and then fire. But as I stared across at him, I realized that those moments had been one-sided. While he had invaded my every waking thought for that month that his blood had been in my veins, I had remained completely within the waking realm. The thought was like a cold blast after I had just become warm, shocking me for a moment, making me dumb with the realization.

"I grow tired of being at odds with you, mare," he whispered, his voice deep and earnest in a way that made my heart hurt. His head tipped to the side as if he were trying to get a deeper hold onto my heart, twisting this way and that until I was so close that I couldn't even breathe without feeling as if he were the cause. "Especially when you and I are so alike. Alike enough for me to know that you understand my reasoning."

"Understanding and agreeing are two very different things, Eric," I snapped, spitting with words out with enough venom to make him blink, his lips twitching. I sneered, leaning closer so that I could be sure that he heard my next words very clearly. "But to a barbarian like yourself, I'm sure that the sentiment is lost. You mistake me, Mister Northman. You and I may be cut from the same cloth but I would never, ever risk the things in my life for whatever personal gain this gives you. You are playing a one-sided game - one that only makes yourself the winner."

This seemed to rile him, his eyes rolling as he glared down at me. "I have given you and your sister every leniency that I can. I have saved both of your lives on multiple occasions-"

"Please," I scoffed, a bitter laugh bursting from me. "Don't insult me by making it seems as if you didn't receive anything for those mercies. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that you don't have an endgame. As of this moment, you have two very rare, very unusual creatures under your thumb. Let's talk about your plans. I'm sure you've spun something up by now other than using me as a mind whore-"

A low snarl cut through the tense air between us, his eye's murderous. "Never call yourself that again."

I blinked, knocked off balance for a moment at his disdain. His jaw worked, the corded muscles of his shoulders rolling in irritation as he took a deep breath, working to calm himself.

"I've only mentioned your existence to Pam and at that, she barely knows the basics," he finally whispered, looking highly annoyed by the admission. "If you haven't gathered, I would rather step out at dawn than give your name over to anyone else." He paused, letting that sink in. It did. And it made me unbearably aware of my affections for the blonde giant in front of me. My stomach gave a happy leap, my muscles tensing against the urge to jump him right there. "As for your sister… only your obvious affection for her has kept me at bay. Many would want to find out what she is. If it weren't for you, I might even be tempted myself."

The tinkering of glasses decorated the silence between us for a moment, lulling me. I stared at his hard jaw, his tired eyes, the strand of hair that had fallen from where he had gelled it away from his face. I wondered what he would look like after I ran a hand through it. How his fangs would feel against my lips. How-

I couldn't help myself.

"What are you thinking of?" I jerked, noticing the sharpening of Eric's gaze, the way his breath had deepened, his nose twitching as he scented the air. A small, knowing smirk curled his lips, his eyes deepening as he leaned closer, taking up too much of the space on the small couch. "Where did your mind go, little mare?"

"I-" I stumbled, trying to formulate a non-commital response and coming up blank. "I - you-" I stopped, my insides fighting against the pull of his gaze. And losing. "I was thinking about how unfair it is that you're a no good, dirty Viking with limited morals and a singularly awful personality-"

"I love it when you compliment me," he drawled and I could feel the cool whisper of his words against my lips. When had he gotten so close?

"And how if it wasn't for the fact that you just released a crusty, old vampire bitch onto my sister, I think we could be doing some very bad things right now," I whispered, my barriers crumbling further as my tongue formed the words without me even thinking. Because I was staring at his lips and his fangs and the peek of his tongue as he ran it over the tip of one canine. I nearly caught fire, my thighs pressing together as I tried to ease some of the ache that had started there.

"Fucking," he supplied, his eyes darkening to an impossible deep blue. I gulped, lost, twitching as I felt the flutter of his fingers against my thigh, like the kiss of a butterfly's wings dancing tentatively across my skin. Never pressing, only teasing. Eric's head tipped to the side once more, his eyes straying to my lips like an animal that was deciding where to bite into his prey first. "You mean that we would be fucking."

I pressed my lips shut, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of my confirmation. But yes. We would be fucking. "If only you weren't such a dumbass."

A single brow quirked. "You would have rather I played coy, waiting until Lorena decided to sink her claws back into Bill? I assumed you would have wanted my honesty."

I couldn't help myself. One of my hands fluttered out, the tips of my fingers grazing along the back of his knuckle, only allowing myself the barest moment of contact before I was pulling away again. I would only give myself this. Because to be able to touch him fully would end us both. He was a drug, a nasty drug. And I refused to be caught up in him in the middle of not only finding Godric but also stopping my sister's untimely death.

That didn't stop me from tracing the line of his forearms (when had those become sexy?) up to the impressive bulge of his bicep.

"Honesty, yes," I breathed, tipping closer still until I could feel the ghost of his lips along mine. Not a kiss. A kiss would open up too many doors. Doors that only led in one direction. Every nerve in my body ached. "However, dragging Bill's ex-lover who also happens to be a serial killer to my sister's doorstep? A bit messy even for you, darling."

I felt more than saw his lips quirk up, his eyes sparkling. "Darling?"

"Don't read too much into it," I muttered, wondering if I would be able to control myself if I ran my fingers through his hair. I could do it. Maybe.

"You do love to shoot me down," he murmured, his fingers dancing dangerously high on my thigh. "Is it a kink? Some kind of plan to make sure that I stay within your grasp?"

"Haven't you already found out?" I batted my lashes up at him, coming to the sharp dip of his collarbone. "I don't think ahead." I let some of my aggression seep out, my nails biting into the skin of his shoulder as I leaned close enough that my lips grazed his cheek, enjoying the sharp intake of breath from him. "Maybe it's because you like to keep so many secrets."

A low rumble rolled from him moments before his hands are biting into my waist, lifting me effortlessly and splaying me across his lap. My legs straddled his, his big hands moving possessively to squeeze down on my ass. My whole body catches fire, my breath hitching in my throat as he stares up at me, looking consumed with half parts agony and anger. I completely agree with him on that sentiment.

"Ask me anything," he growls, those fangs of his flashing as my nails bite into his shoulders. He's driving me out of my mind. His fingers are kneading along my ass, rocking me against him in a way that makes it all too clear what he wants. I can feel his erection just beneath his jeans, pressing into my aching folds. "You've already led me around on a chain for months - what's a night of giving away my worst secrets if it will get you in my bed? Just one goddamn taste of you and then I can finally get you out of my head."

I snap, baring my teeth at the last sentence, unable to stop myself from swaying into him, trying to press down a bit more of just a little bit of friction. He growls, clearly agreeing as his hands go to grasp the back of my knees, forcing me wider on his lap so that I can grind down a bit more on him.

"I'm not a fang banger or one of your worshippers, Eric Northman. I'm not here for one night." His eyes snap with arctic winds and lightning, the muscles in his shoulders rolling as I lean forward so that I can feel his lips against mine. A drug. My drug, specifically designed to ruin me. I stared into those eyes of his, drowning myself. Was this a form of suicide?

Yes, I realized.

Because I'm sure that he had killed more than one person. And I just wasn't sure if I wanted to be on that list.

I pulled back, running a thumb along his bottom lip, the fragile skin there grazing his fangs. His eyes swirled to darkness, a feral snarl rolling through him as his hands continued to run along the curve of my bottom, up to my ribs, dancing under my shirt. As if he was just as addicted to me as I was to him.

"Find me after you've gotten rid of Lorena," I breathed, enjoying the flash of his fangs as he snarled up at me.

"I am a vampire over a thousand years old," he started slowly, his words tinged with barely leashed anger. "And you wish me to run around getting rid of vermin like pest control."

I gave him a mocking pout, pulling away from his grip even as my skin pulled painfully against the act. "Maybe if you hadn't brought her in the first place you wouldn't have to go through this chase. As it so happens, you booked my room so I'm sure you'll know where to find me."

The low, guttural sound that followed my steps was unholy, sending a shiver of excitement and dread down my spine. Someone was mad.

I hoped he found her soon.


	22. Meet Your Maker

"She's been in there too long."

"Reverend Newlin is a blow-hard. He'll take all day to get them through the church alone."

"They have been in there since 8 _am_ ," I hissed, barely containing the venom in my voice as I reeled on Isabela, my fingers tensing into fists as I sneered at her. It was hard being in the same space as her and not trying to gauge out her eyes every time they rolled when I spoke. If it wasn't for the calculated way that Eric had stayed between us and his constant but pointedly silent warnings, I'm sure one of us would have already been dead.

Her well-manicured brows rose. "Your point?"

Her outfit for the night was almost a laughable contrast to her white dress from the previous night. Isabela had apparently gotten the leather jacket, dark tank memo and had followed it to the t, letting her dark hair hang loose, the sides cinched back in an edgy way that screamed: hey, I'm pretty but I'll like, totally kick your ass.

"If I wasn't with Eric right now, lady-" Even saying it made my teeth gnash. Because if I was being honest, my anger was a living, beating animal and it would eventually get away from me if I had to remain within the same thinking space as this useless but yet somehow politically powerful vampire.

As if sensing my mounting instability, Eric gave an exasperated grunt, his bored gaze sharpening as he slid a cutting glare over at the darker-haired vampire. "If you continue to aggravate my pet then you'll start to aggravate me, Isabela. I haven't yet lost my temper with you and I would hate to have to issue an apology to Godric upon our reunion."

I could almost see the memory of the night before flashing across her mind, followed by disbelief and then uncertainty. If she thought that Eric calling them children was even a demonstration of him losing his temper then she had a long way to go. I pondered for a moment introducing her to Lafayette.

Wisely, Isabela fell silent, her bottom lip rolling outward in a pathetic pout as she crossed her arms and stared disdainfully at the Fellowship camp that sat just before us. Remarkably enough, they had chosen a location in the middle of a dense wood just off of the main interstate. Stupidly, they had situated their main camp with lodging and everything just against the swell of a hill. Which was where we were currently situated, close enough to make out the shape of the tiny humans scrambling around below us like little ants.

I resisted the urge to do a pout of my own as Eric's gaze shifted to me, his body blocking out the other woman as he turned a bit. His eyes were shadowed in the gloom of the night, a bit exasperated.

"Really, lover," he drawled, putting a bit more of a dark emphasis on the endearment. "I expected better of you."

"You know I have a temper," I snapped, my eyes roaming the area swiftly, catching on the little humans below with their weapons. They swerved and stopped in unorganized clusters, clearly very invested in the overall thrill of feeling like they were moments away from sacrificing themselves for the greater good but uneducated in how to do it in a productive way. My lips thinned as I tried to keep all of the aching, beating fear of this place out of my subconscious. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my jaw at the yawning hole this place was. Lowering my voice, I turned a bit toward Eric, waiting for him to lean down, his eyes searching, dark in the moonlight. "It's - it's this place. It… it's hard to concentrate."

His eyes narrowed, flicking to where Isabela stood, trying to pretend like vampires didn't have supersonic hearing. His shoulders rolled in agitation before he turned back to me, his brows crinkling with worry. "Just a bit longer, pet."

His fingers ran along my cheek lovingly, rough against my skin. There was a softness to his face that made my insides melt. As if he was genuinely worried about me. Moments like these could really fuck with the realm of denial that I had cocooned myself in for the last couple of months.

"I don't see any of them." Eric and I drew apart at the gentle whoosh of air signaling Bill's return. He had been highly agitated since that morning. Or more to the point since the spike of fear that had ran through him that morning. His face was pulled into a scowl that was firmly leveled at Eric, his dark hair touseled in the night wind. "You said she would be out-"

"I made no such guarantee," Eric snapped, his teeth flashing in a snarl as he rounded on the vampire. "How was I to know that she would go galavanting through the whole cursed place without a care-"

"Hugo would not waste time like this," Isabela defended, her shoulders going up as they flicked between all three of us.

"Well, apparently he has." Bill's accent was a thing to behold when he got this angry, thickening to a molasses drawl that feigned sweetness. I'm sure my own had spiked on more than one occasion but there was a sort of gentile dignity to his that put mine to shame.

Eric's hands tensed into a fist, loosening and then curling again in a rhythm that was all too apparent. He was thinking about beating the daylight right out of the two. Both Bill and Isabela settled into a warm squabble, apparently gearing up to waste a bit more time. Out of the three vampires, it was only slightly amusing that one of them had been able to keep their pet in sight. The only thing that made the whole thing less laughable was the fact that it was Eric and apparently I was in the lead for best dog in show. Woof woof.

I didn't have time for this.

It wasn't lost on me that apparently the only one who was able to properly gauge this situation and react was currently me. At the moment, my sister was MIA and all three vampires that I was with were unable to do anything more than wait and watch. Guess who that left?

I turned, eyes narrowing on the grand building that made up the Fellowships church. It was a gray monstrosity that had a massive sloped roof. The front was made with cylindrical designs that bracketed an intricate strip of windows. The foundation of the building was more of a marvel than the actual construction though. It was raised up on brick pillars to sit high above the ground, making the church resemble a concrete treehouse.

The smell of long-lost sunlight filled my nose as I shut my eyes, diving deeper into the pool of my own power. It was like sinking into myself, curling back into the recesses of my own mind as I inched along the planes around us until I breached the walls of the Fellowship church. My range was finicky in this new terrain. I had grown used to the valleys and houses of Bon Temp and in the casual knowledge, I had grown sedative. It wasn't hard finding my way through the trailer parks of bars that dotted the bayou.

Here everything seemed new, fresher along my senses like the burst of a ripe apple when you were expecting something older, closer to decay. Distantly, I felt Eric curl an arm around my waist. For a moment, I thought I heard his voice, his breath cool against my ear. _Don't get lost, little mare._

I pushed it away, creeping along the church's opulent halls. There weren't many people in the building, to my surprise just a few last-minute worshippers and… A little bit of muscle. Newlin was obviously paranoid if the number of bodyguards he had roaming the church was any indication. Considering the force of three full-grown vampires was currently taking a stroll along his lawn, I wasn't sure if I could judge him.

The place was a lot bigger than I had thought and for a moment, I stalled out in the middle of the lobby, feeling the cavernous space around me and shrinking from the numerous routes that I could go. Tentative, I stretched out my powers a bit more, trying to pinpoint on any nightmares, any flashes of fear that would allow me-

"Oh. Oooohhhhh…" There was a lower addition to the church. That was why it had been raised from the ground. Below, down a corridor just to the left of the lobby was a storage unit and in that storage unit.

I took off, my powers snapping into me with a quickness that made me dizzy for a moment as I took the hill at a run, ignoring the echoed hisses of surprise behind me. For a moment, Eric let me go, his growl enough to make even me think twice. Luckily for me, I could multitask.

"I think your pet is running away, Eric," Isabela called snidely, her eye-roll obnoxiously apparent in the jab.

"Shut the fuck up, Isabela," I heard Eric snarl which got a deep snort from Bill.

My breath sawed unevenly from me as I forced a bit more speed into my legs. Multi-tasking. I resisted the aching pain that flared in my gut, sensing Eric's approach moments before he cut me off. Gravel slid everywhere, my legs wobbling for a moment as I skidded to a halt, some dirt clouding around us as I narrowly avoided being caught in his big bear arms. If he caught me, he would drag me into a car or something and then it would take longer for me to get Sookie and that snake Hugo.

His gaze was intense in the low light, his fangs out as he loomed in front of me. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he rumbled in old Swedish, his syllables sharp and deep. Oh, he was mad.

"Sookie's in there," I snapped quickly, feeling that tingling fuzz start to ark through my arms and legs. The splutter of purple flickered to life, lighting the darkness around us. His eyes instantly found the sparks, his face cast in a witchy purple hue even as he gave a shock snarl, his mind minutes behind mine. "She's in the basement. They locked her up. Hugo's a traitor."

And that was it before I let my powers completely go, the fuse inside me popping as Eric lunged for me, his teeth bared as he tried to make a wild grab for my now invisible body. It was too good he hadn't seen the signs a second sooner. He would have caught me.

Gritting, I leapt away, diving through the brush soundlessly as I ran headfirst into the walls of the Fellowship. My senses sharpened something carnal and angry beating through me as sunk into the walls. For a moment, everything went dark, the feeling of brick and mortar cocooning me.

And then it was nothing but screaming. My sister's screaming. And then Hugo's voice, whining: "Gabe! Oh thank god you're here!"

Feral anger ripped through me my eyes darting around the bare corridor before I dove through the next wall in front of me. The basement of the church was a construction of zig-zags, each corridor leading into another and another. So that meant that eventually, I would get to her.

"You and your moron brother think that you can make an asshole out of me?" I crashed through the final wall, almost running head-first into a chain-link storage area before I realized that I could actually do that and be completely fine. "That's what you think, huh?"

My head gave a dull throb at the mention of my brother. That meant that he was here. Fuck. Had he really gone off and joined the Fellowship of the Sun?

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Sookie gave a sharp scream as the big boulder of a man inside lifted her and tossed her like a bag of potatoes onto the hard concrete floor. He had ripped her dress open on the way down, his yank intentional in all manners of the word. A leer worked it's way onto his face as he gazed down at Sookie's dazed figure.

I gave a snarl, crashing through the fencing. My skin tingled as I let go of that power, materializing seemingly out of thin air in the room. Gabe. Hugo had called him Gabe. Gabe was a gorilla of a man, taller than me by a foot at least and built with muscles that could rival Eric's. His eyes widened, his feet skittering back at the sight of me. "What the fuck-"

It would have been stupid of me to wait until he was back in the right state of mind. Even if that right state of mind seemed to be murder and attempted rape. Snarling, I leapt forward, my knee driving up into his stomach as I dug my fingers into the soft material of his shirt.

"You bitch-" I didn't have time to brace, barely had time enough to stop myself from biting into the top layer of my tongue as he drove a meaty fist into my side. Desperately, I tried to call my powers up, trying to sink into his mind. But to dredge of fears took time. And time in the middle of a fight with a sumo wrestler wasn't exactly on my side.

His fist slammed once more into my side, an odd crack filtering to my brain moments before I switched it off, zeroing down on my options. Time to go to plan b.

"Runa!" I resisted the urge to snap at Sookie, my biceps straining as I heaved myself higher onto Gabe's chest, somehow hanging on to him as he got a bit more of a grip on my leg and drove me into the wall to our backs. Sharp pain burst along my shoulder blades before settling into a bruising ache. Yowzah, that hurt like a bitch. His shoulder plowed into my stomach as he drove into me once more, making the croissant and eggs that I ate this morning give a merry hello to the back of my throat.

"I am tired of you supernatural freaks-!" I lunged, the sharp tips of my teeth ripping through the vulnerable skin at his jugular with an ease that frightened even me. Too late to stop, I gave a snarl and clamped my jaw shut, feeling the tendons and muscles of his adams apple wiggle against my tongue moments before I jerked back.

Blood squirted into my face, a wet gurgling filling the air as he slumped forward sending me back into the wall once more. Against my side, his fists had gone slack, his fists turning into grasping hands like a child searching desperately for something to hold onto in the wake of a storm.

Warm, thick blood filled my vision. Metal and something deeper, earthier - human flesh - burst along my tongue. Reflexively, I swallowed, gagging as I realized that I probably had half of Gabe's throat in my mouth. Choking, half-sobbing as turned to the side and spat, watching in revulsion as a chunk of meat and blood landed on the concrete beside me. Oh Jesus, help me.

"Oh my god, Runa," Sookie was panting somewhere in the room, her voice soft and warbling. "Oh my god. What did you do? Oh my god. You just ripped out his throat. You just ripped out his throat with your teeth."

I would have probably said something along the lines of: _Yeah. I know_ , if it hadn't been for the fact that Gabe was still choking over me, his full 300 plus pounds pressing me into the wall with a suffocating force. Desperately, his hands groped along my side as if the material there might repair the massive hole that I had created out of his windpipe.

"Sook," I choked, my hands scrambling desperately at Gabe's shoulders. Out of the corner of my eyes, nearly overtaken by the massive shadow that Gabe created all around me, I saw my sister inch closer.

A dull, vague thought crept into my head as I saw her fingers curl into his shirt, tugging uselessly as his still wiggling, choking body. This man was about to die on top of me, bleeding and spitting all over my face. Panic took root quickly after that. My legs kicked uselessly at the air from where I had wrapped them around Gabe's waist, both me and my sister letting out whimpered pants as we tried to haul him off of me. As if sensing our effort, the big, hulking man let out a squelching grunt using some last, dying reserve of strength to lean a bit further into me, the open wound at his neck pressing into the side of my face.

Horrified, my mind spun dumbly. He's going to die on top of me. I can't- Choking back a sob, I pounded desperately at him, the space around me seeming small and filled with his raw, bloody scent-

I stalled out for a moment sensing a sudden void in the room before I heard the quiet shuffle of feet. When I had gone with Eric to the tribunal, it had been my first time coming against vampires so old. People that old had conquered their fears in a way that made them harder to find, pushing them farther and farther down until I could only glean them vaguely.

Whoever had just come into the room was so old that their very fears had been lost, blown away like sand in a desert. I gulped, fighting a bit harder to get free of the man above me, my lungs burning as Gabe gave another gurgled groan, the open meat at his neck splattering my chest in another wave of blood.

Suddenly, Sookie let out a sharp gasp. And then my vision popped with the blinding light of the fluorescent bulbs overhead as Gabe went crashing into the wall behind us.

And that was when my whole world seemed to tip forward on itself.

Standing in front of me was a quietly handsome boy - no man. I gulped, my mouth tingling as I swallowed down another metallic layer of Gabe's blood. My mind seemed to debate on the phrasing for a confusing moment. Dark hair matched even darker eyes, his body strangely muscled even beneath the loose cotton tunic and pants. The rolled-up sleeves gave hints of crude, archaic tattoos beneath, the same strikingly simple designs circling his neck.

Sookie jerked in front of me, her hands shaking as she eyed the newest addition to our little gathering. For a moment, the man eyed her, a hint of amusement twinkling through his eyes as he remained otherwise expressionless. I could see the breath sawing in and out of my sister, her body almost fully in front of mine. After a moment longer of silence, the man leaned a bit to the side, his dark gaze running along me and narrowing.

"You smell like my child beneath all that human blood." His voice was quiet, sure and lightly accented although I couldn't place it. Maybe an older form of German or… But it were his words that sent a thrill as cold as ice through my veins, my hands reaching out to clutch at Sookie's arm as she whipped around with a quizzical stare.

 _Eric_ , my mind buzzed. This was Eric's maker. This was Godric.

Suddenly all of the air left me as I stared up at the man, my mind-numbing and thawing in intervals so short that I thought my body might combust. This was the vampire that had turned Eric. He hardly looked old enough to drink. More than that, there was a softness - a gentleness that made me take pause. He wasn't a monster. Was that what I had begun to expect of a person that could have created Eric?

My stomach churned as I realized that yes. In my mind's eyes, the only thing that could have led to such devotion from a creature such as Eric Northman was an ogre, a mutant fiend who bathed in the blood of his enemies.

But Godric was none of those things. There was a quiet sort of sadness that seemed to suffuse the air around him, tinging his movements which were slow and deliberate. He didn't move from where he stood at the open door of our cage and I realized suddenly that he didn't want to scare us. He didn't want to make any sudden movements that would cause fear. My wonder grew as I knelt a bit forward, my powers reaching out without even a conscious decision from me.

Dully, my fingers sparked as Godric's eyes narrowed on me, his head tipping to the side as I touched along that eternal void that seemed to surround him. He wasn't afraid of death. No. The more based in the physical realm, the easier it was for me to draw out a person's inner nightmares. But Godric had no such base instincts.

His dark eyes tracked my movements as I inched a little closer, keeping beside my sister. I could tell by the way her own brows had furrowed that she was trying to reach out to explore the church above us, to see if we would be able to exit without any interruptions.

"You should not have come," he said softly, a rueful smile turning his lips up.

All at once, the tender space that we had been living in cracked like an egg, all three of us whipping toward the cage door as the air was pierced by a high, feminine scream. I hadn't noticed before but to the left of the door, a stairwell climbed up, working toward the church area.

"Bill!" Sookie exclaimed, scrambling to her feet as she eyed the corridor hopefully.

"No," Godric mused, drawing in a breath as he shut his eyes. His voice rose a pitch higher as if he were speaking to someone just in the other room. "I'm here, my child. Down here."

"Eric," I muttered, taking Sookie's hands gratefully as she helped me stand, my legs gave an ache, my body yawning with fatigue. I hadn't run that far but using my powers to dive through those walls was taxing. Not to mention getting slammed multiple times into a concrete wall wasn't exactly a good time either.

Sookie's eyes widened, her lips clamping shut as she turned a curious glance to me. "His maker?"

I nodded, feeling the blood running down my neck and across the lower half of my face starting to dry, making my skin feel like it was coated in a thin layer of paint. Worriedly, Sookie straightened my tank top, trying in vain to clean up the blood that had soaked across my cleavage but aiding only in smearing it more.

"Godric." Sookie's drew in an unsteady breath, her eyes zeroing in on the entrance of the cage as it was crowded in the hulking figure of Eric Northman. Gulping, we both took a step back, wedging ourselves into the corner of the tiny storage room as Eric fell to his knees in front of the dark-haired vampire.

It was like the whole universe had been turned on its axis, my world shifting condensing to this one moment. Godric was over 2000 years old and Eric was over 1000 years old, each a vacuum of physical power. It was as if my very cells could sense the shift in power, my mare instinct kicking up, begging me to dissolve into the wall behind me.

Because if they wanted to, they could tear Sookie and me to shreds.

If they wanted to, they could set this church on fire and watch it burn.

"You were a fool for sending humans after me." It was a statement, spoken softly enough that I thought for a moment that they were talking about something entirely separate. No one ever criticized Eric. No one ever called him a fool.

Eric's head bowed, his expression slightly dazed. "I had no other choice. These savages, they-" His head raised even as he stayed kneeling. "They seek to destroy you."

"I'm aware of what they had planned," he said calmly and I felt that answer like a physical blow, my brows crinkling. nONCHALANTLY, he gestured to where Hugo was still crumpled on the ground. "This one, he betrayed you."

A small smile curled Eric lips, his expression one of bemusement. "I'm aware. My pet told me moments before she…" His eyes wandered around the cell as he was speaking, finally stopping on where I stood with Sookie. His brows furrowed slowly, the smile curling his lips burning away quickly as he caught sight of my bloody appearance. He was in front of me in a moment, my sister squeaking as she flinched away. His fingers curled beneath my jaw, tipping my chin up as he examined the mess."What happened?"

Before I could answer, a soft, melodic voice carried across the space, the edges of his voice tipped with amusement. "She ripped out one of the human's throats as he was about to rape your sister. Got here moments before I did."

"You smell like a filthy human," he rumbled and before I could think to object his tongue was lapping at the blood painting my cheeks. He grimaced, drawing back. "Tastes like a pig."

Still, he went back to work, his tongue warm and sure as it ran along my skin.

Scrunching up my nose, I tried to wiggle away from him, only getting a warning rumble in return and a restraining arm along my waist. "Really, Eric this isn't the time."

"I never thought I'd see the day that you were coddling someone in such a way." I blushed, trying not to shiver as Eric's teeth scraped along my throat, his licks turning into hungry kisses. My stomach gave a flip, something low inside of me heating to an aching point as he gave a soft grunt, working lower until he was ducking down, nearly sucking at the top swell of my breasts.

Beside me, I heard my sister give a disgusted groan. "Really, bad enough that-"

The sudden flash of floodlights snapped across my vision seconds before an alarm started to blare. Grumbling softly, Eric leaned away, his tongue running along his bottom lip as he glanced around, his arm still holding me tightly to his chest. Godric's expression had steeled, his eyes flicking around briefly before he was turning back to Eric.

"Save the human," he commanded and I stiffened. How could such a gentle voice carry such authority? Briefly, his eyes narrowed on me. "And your pet… Go on."

From where he stood, Godric shuffled, his shoulders rolling as if he were a caged animal that had just seen the first glimpse of freedom.

"I am not leaving your side," Eric snapped, his head whipping around as he stared at his maker. But there was something beneath his words that I felt - a thread of desperation so thin that I thought for a moment that he had issued a plea.

"I can take care of myself," Godric hissed and for some reason, even though I had just met him, even though he looked like he was barely old enough to see an R-rated movie, I believed him.

Sookie leapt forward, her hands clenching at her side as she eyed the confined spaces of the walls around us. If it weren't for my abilities to slip through walls, I would have been feeling the same way. As if we were in a cave that was about to collapse in, leaving us buried alive. "We have to go. Runa, come on."

Unwanted, my eyes drifted to Eric, his expression one of extreme agony as his eyes stayed glued to Godric. His jaw tightened, his fingers gripping my waist as if he were barely holding himself in check.

Nervously, I met Godric's gaze. "We-we can't just leave you."

The dark-haired man smiled softly. "Yet you will." His eyes flicked back to his progeny, his smile fading and his words going sharp. "Spill no blood on your way out. Go now."

Against me, Eric tensed, his eyes hardening to a cold blue before his jaw gave a twitch, his throat working around unspoken words. For a moment, I thought he wouldn't move. But then he was jerking his chin toward the door in a quiet command, sending Sookie rushing out. Silently, he released me giving me a gentle push toward the door.

Stubbornly, I resisted, my eyes glued to Godric as he stood calmly by the exit. "But-"

"Go, pet." It was only Eric's words that pushed me forward. Only his presence at my back that kept me going, stumbling clumsily up the narrow staircase.

* * *

_Listen, I wanted to end this chapter by saying that these times are hard. With the addition of social media, this is a scary, confusing whirlwind of information and reports. I've been online, I've seen the nay-sayers and the people who are saying this virus isn't real or that it's a conspiracy or that we're all going to die. I've seen it and what I want to say to you, **my lovely, intelligent, strong readers** is that you are **smarter** and **braver** and you will make it through this time. This virus holds its power in the fear of the unknown and even if these days are rough and unforgiving, you will see next year when this is but a book on a shelf in Barnes and Noble._

_Stay sane, stay strong and don't let fear make you any less brave, or beautiful or kind._


	23. Fucked (And Not in the Good Way)

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE ARE ON LOCKDOWN!" A self-righteous voice blared from the crack that my sister had created in the door. Just outside, we could hear the stampede of feet as the Fellowship condensed all of it's people to just outside the chapel. Unfortunately, that left us in an awkward position since we were almost directly beside where most of them were being ushered out. "WOMEN WITH CHILDREN, PLEASE TAKE THEM TO OUR CLASSROOM BUILDING-"

I stopped listening, wincing as I braced myself against the cement walls of the staircase. This area specifically felt like a tomb and I was a little too battered to feel anything but morbid annoyance at the realization. Just through the crack in the door, I could see the well-guarded entryway to the chapel, people being herded out through a rope of men with… stakes. My blood ran cold, my eyes darting to Eric's tight expression.

"You can't possibly follow Godric's orders," I hissed, fighting against my mounting dread as Sookie peaked her head out a bit, grimacing at what she saw there.

"If I fly, I can only take one of you," he said, a delicate deflection to my original statement. His expression grew grimmer still as he met my sweaty form, the battered, blood-drenched tank top. I had done something to my ribs, I realized, my sides aching, the pain only broken by quick bursts of agony.

It wouldn't be wise of him to take me. I knew that and from the highly irritated look clouding his blue eyes, he knew that as well. If he could zip out of here with one of us, it would be Sookie. Hauling me along would only cause more damage to my already broken condition.

Sookie took a breath and slid from the staircase, darting into the darkness of the alcove just beyond. It was just far enough down the hall that no one would walk past.

Eric's arm slipped under my own, his larger body pressing into my side as he lifted most of my weight for me. I tried to quil the overwhelming jolt of pain that went through me at the action, all too aware of his penetrating gaze.

"You need blood," he murmured, his head dipping closer to me. I tried not to think too hard on what had happened the last time he had given me his blood. Mainly my totally lust-drunk reaction. I had been incoherent to anything but my own desire. The shifting of his expression made me think that he was thinking the same thing. "We don't have enough time-"

I cut him off, blushing furiously as I sensed the end to that sentence. "Where are Bill and that Area Nine vampire? They were just outside-"

"I told them to go back to the nest," he said, his voice dismissive as Sookie and I whirled around on him. His eyes traveled over us, non-plussed. "His attachment to Sookie would have made him irrational. It clouds his judgment. He would kill every child in this church to save her."

Bill would do that? I fought against the altogether harmless exterior that he had shown me. Just a few nights ago, Eric had told me how he had hunted, tortured and killed people for his old master. Shaken, I curled farther into Eric's side, his eyes flicking to me as he drew me in like a lost bird looking for shelter from the rain. I knew nothing of Bill's interior. And that somehow made me feel very, very small.

"Why aren't you?" Sookie hissed, her face nothing but contempt as she stared at the Viking vampire, watching as he repositioned me in his side so that he could look around the bend to the entrance.

"I'm following Godric's orders and getting you two out, that's all," he snapped dismissively.

Something in Sookie's face changed, a softening of her brown eyes, a sudden empathy that made my heart stop. "He's your maker isn't he?"

"You know how dangerous it is to go flinging that around," I hissed, losing myself for a moment as I thought of the power that people could reak over Eric if anyone knew. Godric was powerful, surely. But he was also too forgiving. Too willing to allow amnesty. My heart quivered at the thought of other vampires - worse - other _humans_ , having that knowledge.

Eric's eyes went wintery, his mouth tightening as he drew me against him once more, his body moving to keep me cocooned against the wall. "Don't use words you don't understand."

Sookie's eyes met mine once more, her chin tipping up as if she were trying to tell me that she didn't like that answer. I shook my head, giving a growl. Siblings rarely listen to the warning of their blood. "You have a lot of love for him."

"Don't use words I don't understand," he snapped back immediately, a tick in his jaw going off as I felt every muscle in his body roll.

A sudden silence reached my ears as the alarm system fell silent. There was no longer the sound of plodding footsteps scurrying for the exit. No longer the whisper of frightened children. Instead, there was the sound of a heavy door being sealed.

I felt Eric move before I saw it, the slide of his hands pressing me back to the wall gently but firmly.

"Eric," I hissed, my hand wrapping around his wrist as I glared up at him.

His blonde hair curled around his ears, the blonde whispy there as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. " _Lita på mig_."

I stared up at him helplessly for a moment. Even though I didn't want to admit it, my ribs were killing me. Every breath brought an uncomfortable cinching in my lunges, a sharp pain that made my head spin a bit. But then I remembered that I wasn't helpless and if anyone was going to get us out of this, it would be Eric. Because I was still indebted to him and he would never leave me here without paying out in full.

"Fine," I snapped, earning a small smirk from him as he loomed over me. "But if I hear anything, I'm coming out. They have stakes, in case you didn't notice."

An affectionate nip at my nose was all I got, his fangs snapping down for a moment before he was backing away. "Stay, mare."

I stuck my tongue out at his retreating back.

Sookie gave me a penetrating stare. "You two are awfully close," she commented, slipping to stare off after him. With every step closer to the group near the exit, he became a little less striking, a little less… Eric. His shoulders hunched up. His gait becoming a little awkward, standoffish. "I thought you didn't like him."

"He's not that bad," I whispered, absently, my mind focusing on the exchange before me. It would only take one of them to completely incapacitate him, one stake to graze his skin. "Plus he has a nice ass so that helps with his attitude issues."

Across the room, I saw his fingers twitch, his head tipping to the side for a moment. I had forgotten that vampires could hear very well. I smirked, biting my lip. Sookie gave a soft gag, rolling her eyes. _Jealous bitch_.

"Oh, hey, ya'll! How's it goin'?" Eric called, an octave or two too high to be the Viking that I knew, his tone one of docile contriteness. "Steve sent me over to man the exit here. Think I can take it from here."

I could only picture the cheesy grin that he had in place as he scrambled a bit closer. The three men eyed him with open disbelief.

One of the older ones raised his brow, his hands lose around the stake. "By yourself?"

Eric gave an awkward chuckle, ducking his head shyly. "Uh, yeah."

The apparent leader's face went grim, his eyes running over Eric's hulking form distastefully. All at once, that feeling of dread was tightening my stomach again. "You're big and all but there's a vampire on the loose."

"This isn't going to work," I realized, noting the strain and thin, almost undetectable note of impatients that filled Eric's next little chuckle. These humans were way too on edge to let any lone person guard a central entryway to the facility. I could smell it, my teeth giving a sweet ache as their tension spiked.

Sookie's face had tightened with anxiety. "It _has_ to work."

"No, it doesn't," I said simply, shrugging off my jacket as I started to broaden my mental fields. I could already feel the three humans like little heat patches in my subconscious maps. I flashed Sookie a cocky smirk - one that I whole-heartedly didn't feel as my side gave a reminding pang. Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes. "Fortunately, you have me."

 _Shed no blood on your way out_. Godric _did_ say that. Was it cheating a bit then - what I was doing? Would he be mad at me? I didn't know if I should care. In that moment, there were three guys with stakes, their anxiety growing as he gave another wrong answer. I sure as hell wasn't going to let them get anywhere near Eric.

After being around such a vacuum of mortal time, it was almost a breath of fresh air to meet another human. Their fears were so simple, just on the surface waiting to be plucked out. Kyle over here was deathly afraid of being trampled by horses which was weird since I would have thought it would be more along the vampire route like the other two.

 _Shed no blood_ … I pulled back after the first shock of fear made Kyle pass out. It was a good thing that I had taught myself restraint or else the three of them would have been withering around in their own grave. They were out so quickly that I barely had time to really make a fuss. Honestly, we should have just used my-

I stopped, something popping across the edge of my mind like a water balloon bursting underfoot. It was there, just at the edge of the treeline. My senses heightened, the hairs along my neck raising.

There was something there.

Something that knew _who I was_.

_Something that knew I was watching._

Sookie's hand brushed over my arm. "Runa-"

The tinkling laughter of a woman's voice drifted through my mind and I my heart went cold, stuttering. I could see the frothing horses, the milky eyes. _Well, who do we have here? Hello, sister._

Eric's voice was a low growl, his words heavy with irritation. "Little mare, I told you-"

I screamed, lancing pain bursting through my skull. Desperately, I clutched at my hair, tears blurring my vision as my knees gave out. Images, horrible, bleeding images slashed across my mind until I was all but blind to the world around me. I could see the tree, the Mare's tree. I could see the roots withering in the fertile soil, liquid like blood coursing down from the leaves like rain. I let out another shuttering scream, trying to yank myself away from whatever claws had dug themselves into my mind.

" _And here I thought I could whip these humans into a frenzy all by myself."_

Distantly, I felt strong hands -Erics - lift me, a low grunt as I shook, dislodging myself from his hold. There was a bitter cold along my face as I felt myself being dragged, the wet track of my tears making the air biting against my flushed skin.

It felt like someone was sawing into my brain, the jagged edges slicing messily through, dragging tendons and muscles as it went back and forth, back and- I gagged, sobbing. There had to be a way- If I could just find a way to fight -

That silky voice was back, whispering through me like a lover or a mother, gentle and crooning. " _Come on then, sister. Are you a mare or aren't you? Fight. Back."_

Could I? I had to. I could feel Eric cursing above me, my sister trying to haul as much as my weight as she could as I withered between then.

"-get her out, dammit." Eric snarled.

Sookie's soft pleading. "- listen to me, Runa -"

I shivered, mentally trying to push away the next saw of that knife. Desperately, I tried to change my thoughts around, grasping onto that pain, and use it. I nearly threw up, my whole body going weak as I felt rather than heard that laughter. Why was a Mare here? How unlucky could I possibly fucking be? How unlucky could _we_ be?

" _Oh dear, it looks like you have company. Why don't you rest for a bit, sister? I'll take care of this."_

For a brief, blinding moment I saw the church around me, Eric hunching over me as he stared around. They had dragged me deeper into the chapel and all around were humans, satcheled with silver chains and wooden stakes. Creeping dread swept through my aching, shivering body. I could feel her, the other mare. I could feel her energy leaking all around me, fueling their fear, swirling along-

If she wasn't stopped they might actually kill Eric, I realized. The second thing that I realized was that she probably wasn't a very good multi-tasker if she was letting me off the hook for the moment. Groaning, I bit down on the top layer of my tongue, digging into the fresh wound there as I tried to clear my mind.

Eric was distracted, his eyes forlorn as they stayed firmly on the short, brown-haired man at the pulpit. Steve Newlin, I presumed. Gritting my teeth, I scooted back into the safety of the pews. It would have been a real downer if someone found out that I was a mare when we were already in this shit-hole. My brain spluttered in protest, my muscles giving a snap of discomfort as I forced my powers once more.

"Runa-" Eric snarled, lurching for me for the second time that day as I fizzled away, dragging myself up and to the side and up. For a brief moment, I thought about how that might look. Me taking off in the middle of a deadly situation. Grimacing, I wobbled forward at an unsteady jog. Maybe next time I should take the time to actually explain things to him.

But right now I really needed to find this other mare before she whipped those humans into a fear-induced massacre.

Slipping through the chapel walls, I landed soundlessly in the trees and brush before, taking a moment to open up my aching mental walls again. God, I just wanted to gulp down some vodka and go to sleep. There was that popping feeling again, just ahead at the line of trees.

Grunting, I forced my legs to move a bit faster, jogging up the hill and into the underbrush. I had no clue if I could sneak up on another mare. But as I neared her, I thought I might as well try.

A low hum rent the air, a melodic lullaby drifting along the muggy Texas air. Just at the base of an oak tree, a silvery blonde stream of hair caught the moonlight. She was pretty, I had to admit, her lips full and round, her nose and cheekbones sharp. Slim and tall even seated, she would have made a fearsome warrior back in the concurring days. Now, she was dressed stylishly in a black dress, her heels kicked to the side as she watched the lit chapel with a secretive smile.

I would have liked her, I thought sadly. Too bad she had really tried to fuck me over just a minute ago. I leapt, tackling her into the grass with enough force to make her gasp out a pained breath.

"What the fuck-" I didn't wait for her to do more than try to push me over, reeling back and punching her in the face once, twice - "You bitch."

Yelping, I rolled the spot where she had landed a fist bursting with pain. She had been able to punch me right in the ribs. I sneered, crouching in the low grass as she did the same, lions in the middle of a dispute over the last carcass.

Her cold, blue eyes ran over me, her lips tipping down in distaste. "I thought you would be prettier."

I sneered. "I thought you would look less like one of Tim Burton's fuck-dolls."

Yowling, she lurched forward, her nails out as she went low, trying to get me to the ground. I sneered. Growing up in a town full of scumbags and weirdos may have paid off. Dodging, I brought a knee up angling it so that it rammed into her nose with a satisfactory crunch. Blood splattered along my jeans, a choked scream gurgling through the night.

"You _fucking bitch_ ," she snarled, her words a muffled nasally pitch as she clutched at her face. Her eyes flashed across the space at me, her watery eyes all but diminishing the hatred there.

I raised my fists defensively. "I thought you would be a little more useful than this, _sister_."

"Do you even _know_ what you're _doing_?" she sneered, taking two wobbly steps back and then cursing beneath her breath. I tried not to laugh. I rarely knew what I was doing. "We live off of fear, you dipshit. Where the fuck am I going to find a meal this big? A fucking wedding party?"

I blinked, my fists drooping for a moment. "Live off of fear?"

Her eyes ran over me for a moment, disbelieving. "Are you kidding me? You didn't already know that?"

I tried not to make my shock too apparent. No. I hadn't actually. But I wasn't about to compare my dairy entries with hers.

"No weird deaths in your town?" she sneered. "Ever get carnal when you go too long without extracting some nightmares?"

I stilled. I had always thought that that came from diving too deep into my powers. I never… Suddenly, the memory of all those heart attacks rushed through my mind. I had been so young… They couldn't have all been from me. But now there was another mare in front of me and -

"Have you ever met another mare?" I blurted out. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, I realized grimly, feeling the leaden weight of my muscles. Pain spiked through my side like the slow insertion of a knife along my ribs.

Those icy blue eyes rolled, her head tipping back as she tried to stop the flow of blood. "Oh jeez. Are you one of those lost souls types? Still looking for mommy and daddy?"

I bared my teeth, irritated. I hated all these non-answers. "All of you are the same." My hands flared to life, crackling with purple electricity. "Fucking useless. Full of riddles that mean nothing-"

"Woah, woah-" she bit out, taking two steps back as I advanced. "Calm your tits, okay? I haven't met any of the others except through our mental links. Mares are more solo-hunters. Each for their own. The last time we were together - well, that was when the Greeks were in charge."

I stopped. "You were alive back then?"

She snorted. "No, definitely not. But I was alive when the elders used to pass memories down from one generation to the next." She eyed me. "You must be pretty young to not even have that. Lately, the older of our kind haven't had the power to do that for the younger generation. And the elders…"

Her beautiful features clouded, sadness turning her eyes milky. Her whole body seemed to curve away from me then, her shoulders hunching against whatever memories were lurking in that head of hers.

I pressed, hungry for knowledge. This was the most information that I had gotten in… Well, in my entire life. "What? The elders what?"

"They died," she whispered bitterly, her mouth twisting. "Hunted down. Killed before they could grace the next generation with the knowledge to lead. Now we're motorless, drifting across the world stirring up fear and trauma to stay alive."

My insides went a shade colder, my hands lowering completely. In the pale moonlight, she looked like a fairy, her hair a shimmering curtain. "Hunted by who?"

"Maenads." She spat the word, her teeth-baring, the pointy, shark-like tips flashing. "Nature hippies - they started by taking our youngest, keeping them so that they would have a conduit to rile the humans. They feed off of debauchery. But then that wasn't good enough so they hunted the elders, tearing out their hearts when they learned that it would heighten their powers."

"I-" I didn't know what to say. What the hell were maenads? Why did the mares just allow themselves to be slaughtered? "Why-"

"Someone's coming," the mare hissed, her head whipping to the side. All at once, her hands were alight with purple sparks, her fingers vanishing. She was about to completely disappear on me-

"WAIT-" But I was yelling into the night air, a ghostly laugh tinkling through the wind. _See you never, sister._

Disappointment, heavy and wet pressed down on me as the hulking figure of one enraged Eric Northman zipped into sight, his fists clenched, his eyes an arctic wind.

"Have a fun vacation, _mare_?"


	24. Fucked (And in a Good Way)

_Okay, guys this bad boy is 22 pages and I've been working on it for 8 hours straight so I'm gonna go get some coffee and watch some Judge Judy. BUT I want you to know that I love you guys and your reviews are my only happy time all day (except for my dogs and my husband and also my cats but that's a separate different kind of happiness.)_

* * *

PUT ME DOWN, YOU BIG GORILLA SHITHEAD!" I shrieked, pounding at the ridiculously attractive back of Eric Northman, Viking hothead, and my official enemy until my death. Grunting, he hefted me higher, making me give a grunt as his broad shoulders dug into my ribs and forced a yelp of agony from my throat. Instinctive tears welled in my eyes as I stopped struggling and let out a howl. "THAT HURTS, YOU OVERSIZED _BITCHZILLA_ OF A VAMPIRE!"

I was in pain. I was covered in dried blood from some guy who probably would have raped my dead body if he had had the chance. One of the few people who had given me any information in my entire life had vanished with nary more than a middle finger wave. And now Eric was fuming, snarling under his breath in Swedish while he hauled me back to the church where I was sure everyone was still waiting.

" _Sluta et nu_ ," he growled, his words feral with rage as we slid down one of the hills and neared the chapel doors.

I shrieked, rage making me see red. " _Stoppa upp den i röven på dig!_ "

Oh, he didn't like that one.

An almost inhuman sound snapped from him, followed by him all but tossing me from his shoulders and to the ground. His eyes were deadly, something akin to the wastelands of the arctic as he glared down at me, his bulking form towering over me. My ribs gave a cry of discomfort, making me lose my breath for a moment which made my returning snarl sound more like a kicked puppies whimper.

" _Twice_ in one night you've just dashed away, putting yourself in danger, nearly exposing your abilities to no less than 20 humans and a dozen vampires," he hissed and a part of me quivered at his deadly tone, the blue of his eyes that bled seamlessly to white. "Do you think that you're invincible? Do you think that-"

"No," I snapped, flustered and angry and unwilling to let him continue on when I felt so unfairly judged. Because I had done most of it for him. For my sister. "The first time - the first time I let you _know_. Sookie - that man was about to… I couldn't let that happen-"

I stumbled off as his mouth twitched as if he were dissatisfied that he might actually have to give me this small win. Still, his gaze remained unflinching, his stance hard and mean.

Unwanted, my throat squeezed closed, my pulse racing as I remembered the mare. Should I tell him? Would he think I was crazy? No. Not Eric. He knew about mares. Hell, he had all but told me that that was what I was. If anyone would understand, it would be him.

As I gazed up at him, I realized once more how much I actually trusted him. When had I become like this? This wasn't my nature. But still, if anyone was to know, it was him.

"There was a mare here," I finally murmured, tearing my gaze away from him and to the cement beneath me. He blinked, taken aback for a moment. The gentle glow of the church from just behind me lit the path with clean, sharp light. "She was riling the people inside the church. If I didn't stop her then they would have been provoked into a state of… It would have been a massacre."

"For _me_ ," he snapped, baring his teeth. His fangs were visible in the low light, glinting softly. "They wanted nothing more than to-"

"To _kill_ you," I hissed right back at him, baring my teeth as well. "Do you think I would have let them do that to you?"

His eyes widened, jerking as if he hadn't fully considered the fact that I didn't want him to die. Embarrassed, blushing, and still angry from even having to tell him a fraction of how I felt about him, I crossed my arms, still on my butt on the sidewalk. He was such a jerk. Really. Who would think after all this time that I didn't want him to live?

A shadow fell over me, dark boots coming into view as he sidled up to me and slowly crouched. I was still blushing, I realized almost disgruntledly. Those blue eyes had melted, the thundering light in them having subsided to a warm sun. Slowly, his eyes traveled over me their depths giving nothing away. He was like that. So easy to control his own emotions. It was his best weapon - that ability to detach and concentrate on the bigger picture. _Jubelåsna_.

Without a word, he scooped me up, lifting with a hand around my waist and under my knees so that I was cradled against the solid lines of his chest. Silently, he started slowly toward the church once more, his face drawn with his own musings.

"It was really a mare?" he finally inquired as we entered the chapel. A few shell-shocked members of the Fellowship of the Sun skirted away, looking near to peeing themselves as they tried to exit quickly.

"Yes," I murmured, eyeing the gathered vampires - one of them being Stan ( _barf_ ) and a few others that I assumed were Area 9 members. I was surprised to feel calmed at the reliable presence of Godric, his face impassive as he watched the humans leave. "She mentioned a lot of... disturbing things to me."

"Hm," he murmured, his stride long and sure even as the other vampires eyed him with a mixture of amusement or disgust at the sight of me in his arms. I was too tired to do more than give them all a glare as we passed.

Reverend Newlin, a green mark apparent on his forehead was trembling at the foot of the chapel pulpit, his eyes still somehow able to convey hatred even with his fear. For a moment, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the small man, his face a mixture of plain features and clean lines that incited no real emotion from me. He was neither handsome nor ugly. He seemed neither loud nor quiet. A perfect medium - something that inspired trust because of its general lack of interesting personality.

At his back, the still form of Godric stood, his eyes roaming around the church with the calm analysis of a general surveying the slaughter after a war. No one had died, I took in but maybe it had been more of a moral defeat from the look in his somber eyes. It was the look of a man that wished that things had turned out differently but knew that there had been little that he could have changed.

In more ways than one, by allowing the humans to capture and keep him - I stopped, looking up at Eric as he slid closer to his maker, his face showing the same resigned judgment. Eric's cool eyes met mine, his big hand tightening beneath my knee as he saw - what did he see? Maybe understanding? Because I knew all too well what Godric had been trying to accomplish in giving the humans little to no fight in their pursuit of destroying him.

By submitting when he could have killed them all so easily with no ulterior motive, he had given them everything.

And that in itself made me very, very sad.

"We'll speak of this later," he said quietly, his eyes softening further before he put up those walls again and glanced around.

"Yo, is that Runa?" I blinked, whipping around.

"Jason?" I cried, squirming around as I tried to get a look over Eric's shoulder. Sure enough, huddled in the background just to the side of the stage was my sister and brother, blinking over at me in surprise. And also Bill but sometimes I just ignored his presence in favor of not being annoyed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He grinned sheepishly over at me, the ring on his finger glinting golden in the overhead lights. Across his chest was a heavy-looking camouflage vest with a few ammo rounds tucked into it. And clutched in his hand was a gun.

I pointed an accusing finger at him. "I can't believe that you joined these nasty little rodents! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Please stop moving around," Eric said blandly.

I ignored him, nearly crawling over his hulking body to get a better look at my brother's ruffled appearance. His hair was tousled, dirty as if he had been rolling around in the dirt. A bit to my left, Godric's dark eyes tracked my movement with a dawning sort of amusement, his lips twitching as he caught Eric grumbled exasperations.

"Yeah, well this was that church I was telling you about," Jason said bashfully, eyeing the glaring vampires all around him with a twitch of nervousness. I grinned, ignoring Eric's sigh as I grappled with his shoulders, his grip adjusting to holding me just under my rump. "And then I got here and they made me a Soldier of the Sun-"

"Ex-soldier!" Reverend Newlin bellowed shrilly, his voice twisting with childish petulancy. " _Ex_."

My nose wrinkled at the sheer audacity of his tone. You got to have some real balls to still not look afraid when you were surrounded by more than a dozen vampires who looked like they hadn't eaten in a few days.

I glared down at him from my perch. "I bet its a real loss considering how gallant you look right now on your ass in the middle of a room full of vampires."

He spluttered out an incoherent line of indignation. Eric gave another long-suffering sigh as Godric's head tilted to the side, a ghost of a smile curving his lips as he met his progenies gaze.

"Yeah. You look _real_ stupid," Jason called from across the room, earning a reproachful glance from Sookie and a smack.

"Someday your life of sin and depravity will-" I rolled my eyes, tired of all this bullshit. I wasn't going to stick around listening to this nonsense when my ribs were probably broken and my tongue felt like someone had taken a knife to it from how many times I had bit into it that night. Sookie's eyes met mine from across the room, warning me without words. I wasn't as good of a listener as Jason. "- and when that happens, I'm afraid that nothing will save you from the fiery depths of Hell-"

"Maybe I can room with your wife," I threw out sweetly, getting a ridiculous leap of joy at the confused, hurt expression that crossed his face. Eric's eyes rolled heavenward.

Jason's groan ripped through the room. "Aw, man, Runa."

"How dare you speak about my wife-" Reverend Newlin started in. From the slight purpling of his ears, it looked like it was going to be a good one.

"Okay," Godric sighed, his eyes catching mine in a silent rebuke. "Thank you, Miss Stackhouse." Newlin's teeth bared, his throat working around an oncoming tirade until Godric gently caught his gaze. "That's enough."

I blinked. How had he known my last name? Were vampires able to read minds after a certain age? I stared dubiously up at Eric, not at all fazed by the general look of warning in his eyes. _Be good_ , they seemed to say.

Slowly, Godric's eyes drifted over the kneeling Reverend, still fumbling for a response scathing enough to give me without getting him into more trouble with the imposing vampire behind him. Finally, after a long pause, Godric glanced up, taking a step down from the pulpit. "Come."

It wasn't a suggestion. Without a word, the other Area 9 vampires filed away, looking surprisingly unfazed by the command. Perhaps after so many years under Godric, they had come to know his ways. Only Stan's face tightened, his jaw clenching as he stepped up to block Godric as he made his way slowly to the exit behind his vampires.

"Sir, after what these humans have done to you?" he inquired and I could sense the undertone to that question. It was a thin line of disrespect, the whisper of someone who didn't agree with your decision.

The size difference was massive between the two. While Eric towered over everyone, his darker-haired maker was around my own height. It was a startling contrast to see nearly a foot of difference between the two, Stan's smile one of a person that was used to getting his way based on imposing height alone. Against me, I felt the almost imperceptible shift of Eric's body as he took personal offense to the action even though his face didn't show it.

Perhaps it was more of a sign of their relationship that he didn't step in, didn't even put me down to be able to defend. No. Godric didn't need that kind of support. Not for the first time, I felt a sharp shiver run up my spine.

I wanted to ask him about this, inquire mercilessly into the nature of his maker. But instead, I slipped back down against Eric, knotting my hands behind the strong column of his neck as he readjusted his hold on me once more to hold me beneath my knees and waist.

"I said come." Again, the things that weren't there told more of a story than the things that could have been. No aggression. No force. Just a gentle command.

But Stan's face changed, his face slackening as he stepped to the side and let Godric stride past him. Like a dog that had been tied up in the back for eating a cookie.

"I don't like that Godric is around him," I whispered, almost without thinking, my eyes trained on the pair as they walked silently out. I didn't like that the bigger vampire was to his back either. Even if it seemed that Godric could tear out his throat in one second flat.

"He can take care of himself," Eric murmured to me but his eyes were on the pair as well.

"That means very little to me," I mused. Finally, Eric's eyes flicked to meet mine, a small smile curling his lips.

"I haven't known you to be fond of vampires before, lover," he murmured, that smug smile still curling his lips as he gazed up at me.

I frowned. "Godric…" It was hard to put into words. How had I grown so… _attached_ to him so easily? Maybe that wasn't the right word. There was something in him that inspired devotion, an unflinching loyalty that made people instinctively bend the knee. Like being at the center of a temple that had stood for thousands of years and would continue to stand long past your years. _How many people have walked here? How much heartbreak and joy have touched this place?_ Humbling and chilling - that was what standing with Godric felt like.

"I can't explain it," I finally said, confused at the round way that my head was going. How could a person feel like that? How could I know that when the farthest I had ever stepped was right here - Dallas, Texas?

I wasn't the type to bend the knee. Nor was I the type to give my loyalty so easily. Even with Eric, it had taken months to inspire more than a general dislike. But there was a kindness in Godric that burned inside of him - a patience that made me think that he wasn't meant for this world. Not because he couldn't survive it but because _I_ didn't want to particularly see him survive it.

Eric's eyes ran over me for a moment, analyzing before he said quietly, "I know."

I gulped, feeling suddenly small. I'm sure he did but the sucking reality of what I just felt was a million miles from what I imagined for Eric. Because the difference between Eric and I was so simple and yet complex that most days I tried to push it away. Because no matter how alike we were there was still a whole life that he had led - a life filled with war and starvation and conquering. A life that ended and then abruptly began again. I knew what he had lived through - the Renaissance, the Black plague, the French revolution, the formation of nations where there had once only been bare land with no owner, the Great Depression, and the downfall of kings - but there was a difference between knowing and truly understanding. And that, in its own way frightened me.

I blinked, snapping back to myself as Eric took a step forward, following silently behind the other vampires of area nine. "What are you doing?"

He didn't even glance up as he answered casually. "The nights over. Godric has called us back to the nest."

My eyes narrowed on his impassive face. "Um, in case you haven't noticed, you're still carrying a whole other person with a whole other set of opinions on where she should be going tonight."

"You're right," he said mildly. "I didn't notice."

I seethed, glaring at the side of his head as his footsteps took us steadily closer to the exit. Behind him, I heard Jason give a grunt of confusion.

"Are we just letting that blonde gorilla carry her away?"

Eric spun, his fangs clicking down in an altogether unholy action as he let out a sound similar to what I had heard in a few horror movies right before someone got torn to shreds. Jason's face paled to curdled milk as he shifted a bit behind Bill, his big brown eyes showing more white than ever.

Eric took a menacing step forward, his hands claws in my skin. "You ever call me anything other than sir and I'll tear out your tongue, are we clear, little human boy?"

I blinked, staring at the side of Eric's face as he sneered across the room at my brother. I had called him out of his name many times. Somehow I didn't remember him acting like this. I gulped, an uneasy pit opening in my stomach as Sookie shrunk behind Bill as well. For his part, the dark-haired vampire looked only a bit apprehensive about the whole exchange, his eyes giving way to more exasperation than anything else.

Jason's adam's apple bobbed nervously, his eyes darting from me to the man holding me quickly. "Y-yes." At Eric's harsh snarl, he flinched. "Yes - yes, sir."

The big, blonde Viking gave a snarl, sounding more annoyed than accepting of the reply as he turned away, muttering under his breath in Swedish. "Useless imbecile."

I stared at him dubiously for a moment longer. The amount of rage that was pouring off of him was slightly confusing. It took a lot to get such an outward reaction from him. Little could get under his skin and even if that person was Jason (and I knew from first-hand experience how irritating he could be) it was highly unlikely that Eric Northman cared enough about my brother to get this upset.

Still, it was probably better to get him as far away from my brother as possible at the moment.

"I'll see you guys at the nest," I called, leaning back in Eric's arms to meet my siblings' gazes. Their expressions were almost identical as they stared after me: _yeah and leave your dog at home, please_. I grimaced.

As we exited, I heard Jason whispering quietly to Sookie. "When did _that_ become a thing?"

We were already out into the lobby before I could hear a reply. I wasn't even sure if I was going to like it, in all honesty. Things between Eric and I - well, they weren't simple. I wasn't entirely sure if I was okay with being labeled as his pet for the rest of my life. And how would that even work? Us? Being a couple seemed like dangerous ground to tread. Under my fingers, the muscles in his shoulders and back bulged, rolling. For a moment, a dizzying, stupid, _girly_ moment, I let myself admit the obvious: the sex would be phenomenal.

Which was embarrassing. I blushed, ducking my head, trying to wipe the steam away from my now horny brain.

Because if the warnings from the other mares was to be taken seriously than there couldn't be anything other than sex between us. My stomach churned, my mind playing across the words of the mare from earlier. Something wasn't right. If her words were to be taken then that meant that the power of the mares was waning and to back that was the fact that I hadn't gotten a visit from them in months. Did they think I was dead? A lost cause?

Sudden, blaring doubt crashed down on me. A parlor trick had made me submit to their will - the promise of death if I let Eric take more than a physical bite of me. Taming, she had said and then that blinding pain. But that had all been months ago and since then - nothing. Did they even have the power to control me?

That was a dangerous thought.

"You'll need blood," Eric rumbled suddenly. "Your ribs are probably either fractured or broken. And I can smell the blood on you. You bit through your tongue didn't you." The eyes that lasered onto me were dark, dangerously heated as he eyed me, his gaze focusing on my lips. For one heated moment, I thought that he was going to lean down and kiss me. Again. My stomach fluttered at the reminder of the last time his lips had met mine. I wouldn't have minded a repeat.

But in the end, he let out an annoyed grunt, his teeth baring in a snarl. His eyes flashed an icy blue. "This time you won't fight me, Runa Stackhouse."

It was always so fun to rile him up though, I thought, a bit dejected. And my ribs didn't really hurt that bad anymore. As long as I stayed still, I could almost imagine that it was just a bruise. I blinked up at him, debating.

Snarling, he ducked his head a bit closer, his fangs snapping down as he stared into my eyes. "Say it, mare."

I played dumb, fluttering my lashes up at him in feigned confusion. "Say what?"

"I'm not playing these games with you tonight, Runa," he snarled and I squeaked as he deftly hefted me up, switching his grip so that he had his hands under my arms, my feet dangling a bit higher from the ground than I would like as he kept me suspended there. A power move most definitely, one that I was afraid was working. "Your imbecile of a brother annoyed me and I'm in no mood to dance around on whatever string you want me to this night."

Wiggling around, I ignored the burning pain that was crackling up my sides my hands grappling with his bicep as I tried to get a bit of leverage to do more than dangle in his grip. I had known that vampires were strong but he was lifting me like I was a teddy bear. I scowled at him.

" _I'm_ not the one that got you angry," I snapped, kicking out at him until he was forced to hold me at arm's length. "I don't even know what you're so angry about. He didn't do anything-"

"Have you forgotten that he killed one of my own for a bit of v?" he cut me off, sneering. I blinked, wincing. I had actually. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he… I blanched, ceasing my struggle as I remembered our arrangement. My service for the freedom of my brother and sister. How could I forget so easily? A cruel, twisted smile curved his lips, matching with the sharp glint of his fangs. "Ah, there it is."

I blushed, glaring down at the cement of the walkway that led to the church's front door. "I haven't forgotten."

I had. God, I felt stupid. I _was_ stupid.

His next words were quiet as he drew me to his front, my breasts pressing along the hard ridges of his chest as he set me down gently, his eyes searching. "Do they even know what you've given up to allow them to walk around without any fear of consequences? Have you told them?"

I gulped, heat burning my face as I ducked my head away from his penetrating stare. His arms had curled around me, keeping me against him. "They don't need to know. It's not their problem."

A soft snarl vibrated through him, his head dipping until he met my gaze head-on, his eyes serious. "Maybe they should," he murmured. "Do you understand how badly things could have gone if he were found among Newlin's follows after slaughtering one of my vampires? Maybe telling him is the least that you could do since he seems like more of a buffoon that I could ever comprehend."

I gritted my teeth. "He has other talents."

"Well, his talents are about to get his throat slit open," he replied blandly. I didn't reply. There was a point to his warning. Tonight Jason had nearly been on the wrong side of a battle that he was sure to have lost. Silently, he drew me closer, hefting me up until I had no choice but to wrap my legs around his middle. He seemed hell-bent on getting me accustomed to flying. More than that, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy having me wrapped around him, his hands able to squeeze onto my rump whenever he liked. "Hold on."

* * *

It always amazed me how quickly Eric could get from one place to another. Perhaps by now, I should have submitted to the fact that nothing about Eric was human. Even being a mare, I had mortal instincts, human weaknesses. But Eric Northman was a whole different species. Even among vampires, he was an entity among itself.

There was a simmering quiet to the Area 9 nest when Eric breezed through the doors, a low, hypnotic beat vibrating through the room - more aura than noise. Vampires lounged here and there, dabbling in sex or argument or a mixture of the two. Only a few noticed as we slid through the doors, the others too engaged in the party around us.

Eric stalked through the halls, his eyes darting this way and that as he kept me hugged to his front, hissing a warning as I tried to get down. Against my butt, his fingers tightened, dragging me further against him until my pelvis ground against his. Warm, electric aches clenched at me. That one action sent me on fire, making me catch my breath.

"Sheriff Northman," a low, sultry voice hummed and I raised my head from Eric's shoulder to take in Isabela, her eyes tired and a bit sad. The news of her pet's betrayal must have traveled very quickly. There was a definite lack of bite to her gaze, a sorrowful longing as she took in the way that Eric was holding me, my legs curled around his waist. I felt a bit sad for her, I realized. "Godric is greeting his nest in the living room."

His eyes flicked to the side, following the swell of bodies. It reminded me of a court with chortling mistresses and lords gathering around the king. Except this was a house filled with vampires. I shrunk, a bit of fear beating through me as I saw one couple withering on the couch, the female reeling back before chomping down into another's neck. Here, even with Eric, I felt vulnerable. Small. Too weak to take on more than a few at a time. They could kill me easily if they wanted to.

A rabbit in the den of wolves.

"My pet is injured," Eric said smoothly, one big hand running up my spine comfortingly. "I need somewhere to treat her."

Isabela's smile was gentle. "Of course. The third floor, fifth door on the right. Those rooms are for play and guests. No one will bother you."

I blinked, blushing furiously. That sounded… not innocent. I gulped, taking in the flash of a smile to my right as one of the vampires gave a knowing smirk in my direction, his eyes lingering where Eric's head had tipped into the crook of my neck. Suddenly, I didn't want to get down from my place in his arms. I wanted to completely disappear. Eric gave unsteady sigh, his breath cool against my inflamed skin.

"My thanks," Eric rumbled and before I knew it, he was striding purposefully toward down a long hallway, the music fading into quiet conversation.

The stairs were located in a back corner of the massive house, slim and made of glass. The whole back of the house was made of windows, overlooking a lush garden that gave way to other houses. It was weird that we were in the middle of a suburb, the night sky outside glowing with city lights.

I glimpsed a wide-open concept for the second floor, something like a training room or series of spacious offices before we were on the third floor. The third floor, however, was darker, lined with closed doors. Through the glass, the moon and stars shimmered through the hallway, bouncing off the wood floors. There was a quiet sort of eduction that seemed to emanate through the halls, making the moaning pleas coming from one room seem dirty and altogether enticing. Eric's fingers tightened on me as I flinched, paling at the sound of a whip and then a scream that bit through the air, muffled.

"You don't think-" I started, anxiously peering down the dark hallways as someone else screamed. The odd thing was that I couldn't tell if it was heavy with arousal or pain. My heart skittered.

"Vampires like to play a bit rougher than whatever paltry humans you've had," he murmured, slipping a hand to the knob and opening it quietly. His fangs flashed as he gave me a smirk. "I've never had any complaints."

I frowned at him.

It's a richly furnished room with a creamy brown carpet just a shade lighter than the walls. The bed is larger than my own by a few feet, snuggled down with expensive-looking gray sheets and downy pillows. A few lights trickle down from the ceiling around the bed, casting the space in a soft, cozy glow. It's nicer than my entire house, simple and spacious in a way that screams money. It always struck me how little a room needs to look like a millionaire lives in it. Stick a loveseat at the end of an enormous bed with a simple color scheme and it looks like Bill Gates lives there.

"Comfy," I say but it comes out strangled. Like I realize what a compromising position I'm in. Because there's a difference between Eric kissing me in the lobby of a hotel or fingering me in his office at the dirty end of a deal and being locked in a room with a bed while he offers me his blood.

Eric's face is still heated, that same smile still in place, sharp as a blade as he carried me over to the loveseat at the foot of the bed and sat us down. I gasped at the intimate contact, my face heating. His large hands adjusted comfortably on my thighs, kneading along the muscles there before squeezing down on my ass and then working back down. Tingles shot up my spine, my whole body aching with the contact.

"Take off your shirt." I blinked, reeling as he eyed the offending material with obvious disdain.

Heat burned across my face as I snapped back a quick no. "How about you take off yours first?"

Bad idea.

With a wicked grin, he leaned forward, grasping the material at the back of his neck and slipping the tank top away and tossing it the ground. I gulped, shivering, and shocked. I had meant it to be snippy and now - now I couldn't think. Eric's hulking figure was made up of muscles upon muscles. His abs rippled with wiry strength, bunching, and expanding into shoulders and pecs that looked like they were made out of granite. I blinked, shaken, and melting as I took in the full expanse of his biceps and forearms.

There was usually a level of consistency in the men that I had hooked up with. All of them understood that this was a one-time thing and most of them were attractive in the average bum-fuck town kind of way. Eric Northman was not like those people at all. His presence cowed me, making the small part of me that was wholly aware of how massive our leagues were from each other cower like a little girl. Because there was no other way to look at it - Eric Northman could have anyone he wanted and Runa Stackhouse was still living in her Grandmother's house in backwater Bon Temp.

"You smell like pig's blood," he says blandly and in one second I feel that familiar irritation flare up again. Still, he's so close to me and I'm sprawled over him, straddling him so that if I press a bit more. I let out an unintentional gasp, watching as Eric's pupils dilate, a rumble vibrating through him as I grind my hips down. He's hard, I realize. Somehow even though I was thinking it before now that I know it makes my very bones ache. His fangs flash down as his hands flex on my ass once more, gripping and releasing like he's trying to control himself. "And I need to see your ribs."

My finger's slip to the hem of my tank top before I can think about it. Because if he doesn't touch me anymore in the next few minutes I'm going to catch fire and burn. This was a road that we were traveling down - one that was twisted and gnarled but that led to the same spot none-the-less. I knew from the moment that I had seen him that he was going to set me on fire - that I belonged to him in a way that was ancient and primal.

But still, a girl's got to play hard to get. And I hated that cocky glint in his cobalt eyes.

I blink down at him. "Just to see my ribs."

His fangs flash in the barest of snarls. "Just to see your ribs."

I hide my smirk, shucking it off with a low hiss as my ribs give a snap of annoyance at the movement. Eric had licked away most of Gabe's blood from my throat and face and the rest had been sopped up into the tank top. His eyes immediately zeroed in on my bra, taking in the lacy black material. I had used all of my more modest ones the first two days of the trip. Apparently, that had been a blessing in disguise.

There's nothing between the calloused scrape of his fingers and my bare skin as he slides his hand from the swell of my rump to run along the sensitive skin of my spine. His expression is ravenous as he grits out a curse, his eyes focused on the exposed upper swell of my breasts, the material thin enough to show the hardened peaks of my nipples.

"You usually wear lacy underwear when you go into life or death situations?" he growls and I feel his breath skate along the tender skin of my breasts as he leans forwards, nuzzling against them. Like he's trying to control himself from sinking his teeth into me.

"You're supposed to be looking at my ribs," I remind him softly, my fingers curving around his shoulders as I try to keep myself from grinding down on that erection I can feel pulsing against me.

He lets out a growl, his teeth scraping along my left breast. I shiver, something hot and aching exploding through me at the touch. But then he's pulling away, rolling his shoulders as if he's trying to regain some semblance of control. Irritation and hunger war on his face, making him look half-wild. I pant, feeling overwhelmed from just that small chafe of his teeth.

Almost against his will, he forces his eyes downward, taking in the motley decoration of bruises and swelling along my ribcages. I definitely fractured something. His mouth twitches downward in a scowl before he's leaning back against the loveseat, those eyes cool again as he meets my gaze. "You'll need blood if you want to heal properly without going to the hospital."

And then he waits, eyeing me with a sudden calm determination that confuses me. Isn't this where he offers me his blood? I frown, glancing down at where his big hands still rest against my hips, his thumbs tracing lazy patterns along the curve of my waist. He doesn't speak. My frown turns into a scowl.

A single blonde brow quirks. "Something the matter, mare?"

"I need blood," I stated flatly, unsure of what game we were playing now.

His eyes glitter a bright blue, water reflecting sunshine. "So you do." And then he didn't say anything again, continuing the maddening circles along my hips.

He wanted something. He knew I was waiting for him - couldn't have brought me up here unless he - _Oh_. Suddenly the words from the last time I had needed his blood came roaring back to me. _I'll give you what you need and when the time comes…_

But he couldn't possibly want me to - I gave a snarl as his brows tipped up, his eyes catching on the incredulous expression widening my eyes. Oh, he could. _Vindictive, petty_ \- I snarled out a breath, all of a sudden so angry that I could barely think coherently. He knew that he had something over me and now he was going to hold it out of my reach - make me _beg_ -

"You can't possibly be serious," I whisper, astonishment and rage making my words come out strangled.

A small smile curls his lips. Lazily, his eyes roam over my face, down the slim column of my throat, heating mercilessly as they catch on my hard nipples peeking through the lace of my bra. His hands flex on my hips and his next words coming out low, a little raw. "Ask me nicely and I'll give it to you without a thought."

I snapped, jerking forward with a sneer. "I. Don't. Beg."

His eyes darkened, his fangs flashing in a returning snarl. "You just make me."

I blinked, jerking. Had I? My mind swam in confused circles. Not Eric Northman. Eric Northman wouldn't submit to anything. _No…_ The blue of his eyes churned in annoyance. His whole body pulsed with it.

"You taunt me with ideas of finally having you in my bed - finally getting to see if you would be the hottest fuck I ever had-" His teeth bared in a feral snarl like the idea enraged him. At my ass, his fingers dug into the flesh there. "Then you make me go galavanting all over that damned hotel like a love-sick puppy. Do you enjoy seeing my pad after you? Seeing the lengths that I go to just to get a taste of those lips?"

"You want me?" It seemed stupid now that I said it out loud. Of course, he wanted me. Even if it was in a purely sexual way - I knew that. But there was a submission in those words - something that gave me a bit more ground and made him a bit more vulnerable in the process. It was that more than the knowledge that made me unsteady, made my breath catch.

Slowly, he leaned forward once more, his face tipping up until his lips whispered along mine, those blue, blue eyes filling my vision. "From the moment you walked into my club in that tiny outfit. I could barely hold myself back from bending you over the bar and taking a bite out of you."

There was a promise in those words. My heart ached my legs shifting from where they were pressed around his hips as I tried to relieve some of the ache there. I wanted him too. I had wanted him for a while. Briefly my mind flashed to the warning of the mares: _a mare cannot be tamed_. Was this taming? No. She had said that sex was one thing - the rules were meant for my heart. Gulping, I stared into the crystal depth's of Eric's eyes. Was he taming me? I let out a breath. Did I care if he was? Sudden, indignant fury made me burn. How dare they give me rules when they had given me nothing in return? How dare they act like anything other than dream parasites, the crumbling gasp of a race that was on the verge of extinction. I was willing to take this risk. I was willing because my fear had little base behind it. They had chanted at me, given me nightmares that made me wake vomiting but nothing more. Powerless creatures - it made my insides burn with hatred.

Taking a breath, I leaned a little bit closer, my lips dragging along his and made a rash jump for solid ground.

"Please, Eric. May I have your blood?"

A harsh sound vibrated from deep within his chest, his fangs flashing as he pulled away from me. I barely had a moment to miss the press of him against me before, his teeth were sinking into his own wrist, the red splash of blood flowing from the bite as he pressed it to my lips. The metal smell hit me a moment before I was opening my mouth. There was very little hesitation this time as I tongued the wound, feeling him jerk beneath me, his hips grinding up into my sensitive folds.

It was an odd mix of sweet and bitter, something crisp cutting through the thick texture. It tasted like him, I realized already feeling my skin tingle with hyper-awareness. It tasted how I imagined he would - mostly bitter with that spike of honey. But he didn't let most people feel that part. I whimpered, shivering as his teeth scraped over my nipple, feeling the tantalizing tips of his fangs tighten. And then a snarl as his hands grip my waist and drag me forward.

His mouth latches onto my nipple and when he sucks hard on my sensitive peaks, I can't help the tumbling sounds that break from my lips, his wrist forgotten. All I can think of is him. His body is so big, rolling with such strength as his mouth leaves my nipple with a final, sharp nip. A shiver races up my spine as his head dips, his tongue and lips giving my fully healed ribs a wet kiss. It's a reverent move, his eyes closing like he's lost in the first bite of a meal after starving for a century.

"Eric-" In one moment, I'm staring down at his bowed head, and in the next, he's on his knees in front of me, my back against the loveseat as his long fingers work at my belt and jeans.

His eyes are burning, dark as he drags the material down my legs. My black panties are drenched, sticking to my folds in an obscene picture. "So wet, love. Is this all for me?"

I didn't know how to answer, his shoulders pressing my legs wider, wide enough to make my panties barely be enough to cover me. Almost absently, his hand traveled slowly up my calf, kneading at the muscles there before dipping behind my knee. My breath catches, my flesh tingling. He's going so slow - so _slow_ when all I want is for him to finally take me, hard and fast. His hair flashes with golden light as he leans forward, forcing a whimper from me as he bites lightly at my inner thigh.

"Eric," I plead, hesitantly reaching out, catching his darkly amused stare as he tracks that hand, watching as I think better of tugging at his hair and instead grasp his shoulder.

"Come on, pet," he murmurs and I shake uncontrollably as he drifts a bit closer, his lips so close - just there as he kisses along the edge of my underwear. "You've always been so good at words and now you can barely speak." It was obscene - the flash of his eyes between my thighs. His hands had reached under, massaging the underside of my thighs, rubbing along my ass. "Is this all for me?"

Heat burned across my face, my body sharpening at his words, the possessive tilt of his smile. I would give him anything he wanted, I realized. Is this what it feels like to be tamed, my traitorous brain mocks. The word slipped from my lips without my permission, quietly. "Yes."

"Good girl," he says and just like that his lips are there, his tongue pressing into me through the soaked fabric of my panties. My clit throbs as he gives a groan that vibrates through my core. Like he's tasted the best thing in the world. Like he can't get enough of me as his teeth scrape across my thigh for one feverish moment before his hands dig into my ass and drag me to the edge of the loveseat. A rip tears through the room and suddenly I'm bare, Eric groaning as he stares down at my drenched folds. "I'll buy you another pair, sweetheart. Couldn't wait to get a taste of this pussy. Open your legs up a bit more, love. I need more."

I fall back as he tugs my legs over his shoulders, nearly drowning in need as he lets out a satisfied grunt before leaning back down. And then I can't even think anymore because his tongue is sawing back and forth along my clit, making me arch and go blind. My fingers which were so shy before spear through the soft mess of his hair, wanting him closer and there, there, _there_ and sobbing because I can't even comprehend what I want.

I'm a mess, shaking as his tongue spears into me, his fingers bruising my ass as he lifts me like I'm a dish that he's decided to finish off. I'm drenched, so wet that the sound is echoing around the room, sinful and debauched. And when he groans that I taste so fucking good, just like honey and his teeth pinch at my clit, I nearly lose my mind.

"Eric," I sob, tugging at his hair, my thighs shaking as his tongue fucks into me again. "Eric, _please_."

"Fuck," he hisses, sounding angry, _furious_ , pulling away for a second before he's nipping at my folds, his fangs making me squeak. "Need to be in you so bad. _Fuck_. This is only going to be a quick taste just to get you good and wet. But later I'm going to spend all morning licking this pretty pussy, you understand?"

His words make me burn, my core tightening as if he's already inside of me and oh god, I'm on edge, my belly hollowing as I whimper. Because I think I'm close to losing my mind. And I let out a screaming moan as he immediately goes for my clit, one of his fingers playing at the edge of my pussy before sliding in. Sobbing, I yank at his hair and the answering feral rumble is the final straw before I'm clenching, blind as my orgasm takes over.

It's an all-consuming kind of peak like tipping over the side of a cliff and letting gravity take over. It takes my breath away. I shudder, helpless as Eric stays with me, murmuring softly against my folds in between gentle licks.

I've rarely felt the kind of high that only a good orgasm can get you. Maybe once? But here it is, my mind buzzing, humming languidly from one sensation to another as I feel Eric's body slide along mine, my back cushioned on a warm, soft carpet and then the feel of Eric's body over top of mine, his chest pressed to mine.

Dazed, I run my hands through the knotted mess of his blonde hair, getting perverse satisfaction from knowing that it was me who made it that way. For a moment, I remember his longer hair, imagining how much enjoyment I would have gotten from tangling that. My fingers drift down over the hard column of his neck and then to the solid ropes of his shoulders and back. He's built like a - well, like a Viking. Built to haul heavy equipment or swing weapons all day - built to fight. My eyes catch on a few pale scars that run along his back and over his ribs - so thin and smooth that if I wasn't this close I wouldn't have noticed them. Reminders of his human life.

A soft moan whispers from my lips as his tongue laps at my nipple. Somewhere in between my orgasm and him slipping me to the floor, he removed my bra. I'm afraid to think of what state it's in considering my panties from earlier. And… Testingly, my toes slip over his bare calves, the hair there coarse and abrading. His thighs are massive, pressing my own wide around him and a shiver of bliss travels up my thighs and dances in my stomach. Finally, my toes skim along his bare ass and all at once I'm drenched again, horny as I remember the hard length that pressed into me as I straddled him. I'm tempted to ask him to lean just a little bit-

His voice is muffled against my breast, the tips of his fangs an erotic press. "God, you're fucking beautiful. I thought you were gorgeous before but I could watch you cum all day long."

His mouth is wet, glistening with my juices as he glances up, those eyes bluer than the clearest sky and so hot that my thighs automatically tighten around him. And all I want to do is drag him down to my lips so that I can run my tongue over his fangs. Feel him break like he did to me. Is this what it is for someone to tame a mare? Can a person really be completely at the will of another?

"You're bossy," I murmur, my heart thumping possessively as he slides up my body, his chest rasping along the sharp peaks of my breasts. He's all around me suddenly, his arms braced beside me. Against my most intimate parts, I can feel him, long and hard and very, very big. My hands slide along his biceps, enjoy the solid mass of his on top of me as he tips his head so that our lips can graze. "And dirty."

"You like it when I'm bossy," he mutters, his head tipping to the side as his lips slide along mine - barely a kiss but tender and intimate in a way that makes me burn. "And you seem to like it when I'm dirty too."

I don't see the use in lying. "You might be right."

His chuckle is dark and sinful. Biting my lip, I try and rub against that him, my core already aching all over again. This man is an addiction and I don't think that one orgasm will even begin to sate me. His touch has opened up a gaping hunger.

But all at once, he's tsking, the smirk curling his lips teasing as his hips level off of me and my thighs lose their grip, sliding pathetically down his own until I don't have any contact. I frown, frustrated, my legs trying to drag him down again.

"What do you want, sweetheart?" he murmurs and I clench my teeth at the light in his eyes. Ugh. He makes me so mad. His smile broadens at that enraged stare. "Come on, pet. You asked so sweetly earlier. I went to my knees for that little plea."

My eyes narrow, face burning as I remembered all too clearly. He's such an ass. Slowly, his chest drags along mine, reminding me of the aching need that has been smoldering. I _hated_ him.

But he has something I need. And the idea of walking away from it…

"Eric," I gritted out, baring my teeth up at him as he nuzzled his nose against mine - just to irritate me. "Eric, will you please make love-"

He nips at my nose, those fangs snapping down close enough to nearly draw blood. "Wrong, sweetheart. Later I'll lay you down on a bed and take my time but what I'm about to do to you is going to be rough and hard. I don't think I'll even have the control to be a little bit gentle with this pretty little body of yours tonight." My breath caught, my core clenching at his words. Why did that make me so hot? His eyes burned into mine. "What we're about to do is fuck."

My breath was uneven as I tried to regain that thread of anger that had made me so clear-headed a moment ago. But my next words were unsteady. "Eric - Eric, will you please… will you please... fuck... me?"

My words teetered off, shaking and quieting as I went on. It was lucky that he didn't wait until I finished, his eyes burning into something ravenous and feral, groaning as he braces a rigid arm beside me and reaching down to grasp his cock. My nails dig into his biceps as he rubs the broad head through my slick folds and then wedges it against my entrance.

God, he's so big. So big, so big, so big. That's all I can think as her pushes into me, deeper and deeper, stretching me in such a way that I can't breathe, I can barely think. Because he feels perfect. My thighs shake around his hips, whimpering as he finally seats himself firmly and he lets out another groan.

"God, knew you were going to be tight but this is ridiculous," he grunts and I gasp as he grinds against me, my muscles clamping down on him in return. "You all right, sweetheart?"

I let out a moan in answer, unable to string words together to make sense. Why does he feel so good?

"And your wet," he snarls and there's a thin line of fury in that statements that makes me shiver. Slowly, his shaft drags out and then forces it's way back into me and I can't help but arch into him.

I've had sex before. More hookups than I would like to admit. Fast and frenzied was the usual tone, sometimes so fast that I still had my underwear on. There was always a common thread. Most guys just fuck with their hips, pounding away blindly until they reached an end that they had thought they worked for.

Not Eric. His thighs push against mine, forcing mine wider until all I can feel is the way that his cock sinks into me, his knees shoving into the carpet as if he's trying to get as deep into me as he can. His biceps roll beneath my fingers tips, bunching and tightening each time he thrusts into me, pulling his upper body against mine. It's intoxicating and I feel myself tightening already, my whole body tingling.

Moaning, my thighs come up to grip his hips, silently begging him to just stay inside of me and somehow he gets me hotter as he reaches back and catches my legs, cinching them higher around his back. For a moment, I wonder what his version of making love is. This feels like it to me. Fucking was never this good - never made me want to burn along with someone else like this.

My body trembles beneath his and with a low growl, he moves away from me, making me whimper in disappointment. Abruptly, he levels himself to his knees, his hands move to my waist as he drags my hips up so that he can crash into me. And suddenly I realize that that bit of bliss was just the warm-up as his hips crashes into mine. His eyes close, his mouth open as if he's caught between agony and pleasure so great that he isn't sure what to do. It's hard and dirty and the sound of his cock slamming into my wet folds fills the room.

But he's gotten so much tonight - more than he can ever imagine - and I want something to. If this is my taming then I'll leash him to me too. Because if I have to burn for this than I want to know that for this one night, he burned with me.

"Eric." His eyes are half-lidded, guarded as he opens them, his hips still slamming into me with such force that I can barely catch my breath. I whimper, trying to look pathetic and in need and succeeding partially because I am both of those things at the moment. "Eric, I need - I need… to feel you...against me."

His teeth flash in a pained grimace, his tempo picking up as if he can't handle the broken plea in my voice.

I can't either. "Please?"

A groan rips from his chest and he leans forward, lowering me back to the ground, bracing himself above me. Not close enough. But then again will it ever be at this point? I loop my arms around his neck, dragging him down to my lips even though I know he could fight me. But he doesn't. And that makes me moan more as his lips part on another groan and I drag my tongue along those fangs. God. I could eat him alive right now.

All at once, he's fucking me like a man starved, sucking at my tongue, one hand going back to make sure that my thighs stay high on his hips. Writhing, trapped inside this mid-section of being so close to cumming and wanting it to last longer, I moan, clawing into his back. "Eric - baby - I need more. I need-"

I don't know what I need but it's like Eric is a part of me, his chest rumbling with a hungry snarl as his hands move to dig into my ass, rocking against my clit with every thrust. I feel myself tightening around him, my breath shuddering out of me on a sob. "So good, Eric. Feels so good. Love the way…"

My fingers scramble from his back, fisting in his hair as I cum. It's shattering, so overpowering that for a moment the world goes quiet and there's nothing but my body clamping around him, arching into him as he grunts a harsh curse.

And as if my own release is his undoing, he roars, snarling as he pumps into me faster and harder. His whole body tenses, his knees shoving my legs wider as he grinds down into me and I feel his cock jerk and somehow I'm reeling into another release as I feel him cum in me, his shoulders bunching as his thrusts slow.

Tired contentment settles down over me, making my limbs heavy as he finally stops, my legs slipping weakly down his back as he settles over me, his lips soft as he nuzzles against me. My heart warms, his body cocooning me.

Groggily, I hear him whisper something into the curve of my neck, his blunt, human teeth grazing over the slim column of my neck and for one moment I realize he didn't bite me. Even though he could have. Even though I would have probably begged him to. But then that thought was drifting away and I was settling into a needed sleep.

"You're mine now, mare," I thought I heard him say, his lips sticking to mine for one wet moment as he gave me a languid kiss.

Groggily, I kissed him back, enjoying the gentle slide of his tongue along mine before I garbled out a response. "And you're mine, Viking."

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_Woo! SEX! Please drop a review. This is 22 pages, folks. *Stares emphatically at everyone* So yeah I would love to hear from you guys!_

**_A/N: Here are the Swedish translations._ **

_Sluta et nu: Stop it now_

_Stoppa upp den i röven på dig: Shove it up your ass!_

_Jubelåsna: Idiot_


	25. Take Me to Church

_A/N: Okay, I totally have to go bake cookies for a thing right now so I don't have time to answer any reviews but just know I live for them and please, please, please keep. Them. Up._

_**LEMONS WARNING!** _

* * *

I've had dreams like this before. Dreams of someone's cool breath skating over the cozy heat of my neck, the vulnerable skin where my baby hairs are. Dreams of a strong hand teasing along my side, calluses abrading my thighs. I had dreams like these when Eric's blood was in me, fever dreams induced by my half-crazed subconscious, ravenous to sink my teeth into the Viking.

It would always start with the feel of his breath and then slowly, the deeper I succumbed to sleep, the feel of his fingers and then his chest, his voice, his eyes. Slowly, I would drift away and into his arms.

But this is different.

I gasp, clutching at the creamy sheets under me as my mind blurs between the dream and the sudden reality of my life. Sometime after I went to sleep, he brought us to the bed. The light in the large room is dimmed, a single lamp casting the room in a low glow.

"Can't get enough of you," Eric growls against my shoulder, one of his hands shifting through the wild mess of my hair, holding it away from my neck. The sudden prick of his teeth along my skin makes me moan, sleep drifting away, leaving behind ravenous hunger. "I need you more - how is that even possible? What witchcraft have you cast on me, you beautiful mare?"

How do I answer that? For a moment, I try and force a coherent word past my lips which ends in a strangled moan as his teeth pinch into the skin of my nape - never cutting skin but bruising. A torture that I'm sure he's feeling from the moan that builds through his abs and rumbles across my back. He's teasing himself - drawing out his own agony at the thought of my blood just below that delicate layer of skin.

"I-I can't answer when you're-" I bit back a whimper as his fingers tighten in my hair, a delicious sting building across my scalp. I've never liked men towing me around by my hair. Very few have actually tried and of the ones that have, they've almost gotten their hands bitten off. But things with Eric - they work. Trust I realize, my body catching fire even more at the unfamiliar word. I trust him with my body, to take care of me. I just didn't know that such a simple thing could lead to me feeling like my whole being is balancing on the edge of a knife.

I'm wet again, I realize, heat burning across my face as his free hand scrapes along my hips. Against my back, I feel the muscles of his chest roll in a groan, his fingers squeezing down onto my ass.

"What kind of creature are you?" A cry - half pleasure, half surprise - as I feel the sharp scrape of his teeth against my shoulder. Blindly, I reach back, my fingers scraping along the bulging muscles of his shoulder, along his corded neck until they finally hook into the strands of hair at his nape. I need something to anchor me, something to hold onto as he gives an agonized curse, one of his big hands hooking under my knee so that he can drag it up and over his hip, opening me completely. My whole body tingles at the feel of his, his cock dragging along my folds from behind. I want him so bad that I could scream.

This must be a sort of madness. In my chest, I could feel an odd bubble starting to bloom, expanding until I could barely breathe without his fingers pressing into my thighs or his lips on my shoulder. I wanted him like a fire wanted gasoline. Like water wanted to devour the land. I wanted him like the moon wanted to kiss the sun.

"Are you sore?" His fangs pricked along my nape again, digging in for a moment before he seemed to force himself away with an agonized groan. The hand in my hair and on my thigh, dug in in rhythmic kneads like he was trying to control himself from rolling me onto my knees and just taking me.

God, that thought got me even hotter. My nipples and abdomen twisted with painful need. "No - Please, Eric."

" _Duktig flicka_. Needy little thing." Tears of relief pricked along my lids as I feel his cock slowly sink into me, my walls clamping around him needily. Was it pathetic that I loved the feel of him so much? His answering grunt reverberates along my nape, his hand hitching my leg higher along his waist as he grinds against me. "Fuck. I thought it would be different the second time but you're still as tight and wet as the first."

Why did that harsh whisper turn me on so much? My nails dig further into his hair, my free hand reaching up to curl around the wrist of the hand that still tangled in my own hair. He's so big that I can feel my walls struggling to take him even as he saws back into me, the muscles of his thighs bunching beneath my toes. Maybe that's part of the charm, I realize dizzily. I've never taken anyone as big as him and now I think I'm losing my mind.

"Så bra." The words are half agony, half prayer, his lips dragging along the shell of my ear as he continues to thrust into me. My mind blurs between the feeling of his skin along mine and some other space that's made up of need. What had the mares said about the Vikings when I had listened to them so many years ago? That they worshipped us, _worshipped our savagery, prayed to our darkness_.

A sharp cry burst from me as he fucks into me, the fingers in my hair tightening for a moment before he's moving that big hand down to squeeze my breasts, pinching my nipple and driving me closer to the edge.

I can't really blame them for being pissed at losing Vikings if the sex is anything like this, I think dizzily, gasping, my eyes rolling back as I arch back into Eric. He's hitting me so deeply, my pussy clutching at him as my body tightens, withering with the need to cum. Desperately, I reach for that peak, so close that I can actually feel a few tears track down my cheeks.

"You're close, aren't you, love?" I'm not sure if he wants me to answer, his growled question ending with a sharp thrust, the wet sound of skin on skin, filling my ears. His teeth scraped along my shoulder once more, his fingers leaving bruises behind on my thigh as he yanked my thighs wider. "Who do you belong to, little mare?"

The hand on my breast gave a final, loving squeeze and then slid down my stomach, teasing along my hip bone. Waiting. Taunting. I was so close to that edge, my body tightening and loosening in agonizing pulses.

But if he wanted me in that way then I wanted him too. I could feel how close he was, his breath sawing out of him, his teeth biting into my shoulder with a need that bordered on frenzy. Every thrust seemed to cause him more pain, his voice raw as he whispered words lowly, in Swedish against my nape.

"What about you, Viking?" I gasped, my teeth clamping against another whimper as he gave me another harsh thrust. "Who do you belong to?"

"You spoiled, beautiful mare," he grit out. "You. Apparently you."

The barely contained rage and bitter twist to his words only made me smile, my fingers yanking at his hair until he gave me a nip. "I'm all yours, Sheriff."

"Naughty brat," he snarled, his teeth flashing as he flipped us, yanking me to my knees. His cock surged back into me in a punishing thrust, forcing a cry from my lips. At this angle, he felt impossibly bigger, hitting a part of me that made all coherent thought fly from my head. "You know I could eat you for an evening snack? Glamor you into asking for my cock morning, noon, and night? I could make you wait for me on your hands and knees."

"But you wouldn't," I moaned out, my nipples scraping along the comforter as I feel a familiar tingle start in my toes. I hear a soft grunt from behind me as my pussy starts to flutter around him. Just on the edge. So close.

"I wouldn't," he growls, his fingers finally, finally reaching around my hips and rubbing my clit. My thighs tremble, my legs giving out as my whole world narrows to that single touch and then bursts apart at the seams. Vaguely, I realize that the only thing keeping me kneeling are Eric's hands at my hips, his knees pushing mine farther apart. My whimpered cry bounces through the room, matching his roar as I feel him give a final, savage thrust, cursing as he comes inside of me.

Slowly, he slides from me after a long moment where we both labor for breath. I can feel the tension rolling off of him, his hand massaging my ass for a moment before he's sprawling out beside me, that hand trailing up my spine.

He seems softer somehow, lying next to me, still languid from sex. I turn my head, pushing away the unruly tangle of my hair to meet the cool blue of his eyes. His fangs are still down, his pupils dilated as he runs a cool hand down my sides, kneading into the hair at my neck.

If he kept looking at me like that… My mind flashed to what the mares had warned me of. I squeezed my eyes shut. Why did these thoughts always have to ruin everything? A sudden wave of awareness crashed over me, my stomach turning as I tried to piece together all the reasons why having mind-blowing sex with Eric Northman might have been the worst idea of my entire life.

It scared me how little I truly cared.

"Runa…" I blinked, forcing my eyes open at the silent command in Eric's deep voice, his hand cupping my nape securely - a reminder. Those arctic eyes of his ran over me, the curve of my spine, the place where my breasts smooshed into the comforter, the half-hidden tilt of my face as my tangled mess of hair drooped forward.

It was odd seeing the switch in him - from the Viking that had told me repeatedly how good my pussy was to the no-nonsense vampire that was currently stretched out beside me. Honestly, I didn't know which one I liked better.

"You've got things on your mind," he stated, slowly his fangs flashed in a cocky smirk as his eyes slid a hot trail to the curve of my ass. "And not the things that make you scream my name."

Heat rolled across my face, searing my cheeks. "I never screamed your name." I blinked at his quirked brow. My mind scrambled over the events of the last few hours. "I mean… I remember screaming… Wordless… screams… With no one's name in the mix."

His smile grew, his teeth flashing in an arrogant tilt. I hated it when he gave me that grin. Unwanted my fingers moved of their own will, creeping along the sheets until they hit the smooth expanse of his abs. His breath dragged in abruptly, the blue of his eyes almost eclipsed as his pupils dilated. My palm flattened as I reached the curve of his pecs, the muscles there twitching.

"You're playing a dangerous game, lover." His voice was guttural, rubbing along the spell that my hands had created. "If you don't stop I'll have you wrapped around me in a second."

The very thought made me shiver.

But we had things to discuss. I kept my hand where it was - right above the still expanse of skin over his heart. Blinking, I dragged my gaze up, meeting his own.

"I was warned not to make any… emotional ties with you by the other mares." Eric's blonde brows dripped, cinching together, his fangs suddenly looking like a threat more than an erotic promise as he let out a low snarl. That hand at my nape tightened. "I've been… getting dreams since I was a little girl. I think it's like a homing device for mares - a way to keep us all in check."

One brow quirks, the tilt of his lips telling. "A dream?"

My mouth cinches down at the mocking lilt in his voice. "Yes. Its - it's honestly hard to explain and now that I'm thinking about how to say it out loud - well, it sounds stupid."

"Oh that sounds promising," he says silkily and I level a glare at him. Soothingly, his fingers tug gently at my hair, encouraging.

Taking a breath, I try to think of how best to phrase this. How not to sound like a lunatic. Finally, I just decided to dive head-first. "When it first started, I was seven? Eight, maybe? I would get these really violent urges and… well, I would end up in fights. But every time, when I fell asleep, I would see them. The mares. They would come to me one horseback, beneath the shade of a great tree. At first, I thought it was just my imagination - they never really told me anything that made sense-"

Eric's teeth flashed in a smirk. "Your kind liked to talk in riddles. Perhaps it was from the way that the old Vikings treated them - like oracles of witches. It added to their allure. And the more people that thought they were powerful, the more that would fear them."

"Fear?" I breathed, alarmed at the wording.

Slowly, his fingers massaged down my neck, kneading at the muscles of my shoulders as he remembered. For a moment, his eyes went cloudy, a flash of pain making my breath stall in my lunges. But then it was gone and he was speaking. "The old story goes that they were brought into existence by a witch who put a curse upon a king, wishing him to die in his sleep from fright. But her magic was too strong and it conjured into existence a whole other race - one that fed on fear."

My stomach turned, remembering the aching hunger of feeling out people's deepest secrets. Remembering the savage need that would overtake me whenever I came too close to someone's terror. It made sense. Too much sense.

"But my people had their own darkness to contend with," Eric suddenly murmured, his fingers soft and teasing along my sides. "Vikings lived for the conquest. I suppose that's why we were so drawn to the mares. For many years, we lived and slaughtered together. Up until the point when they vanished, scattering across the world." His fingers drifted back up, his eyes following as he took in the planes of my face. "You're the first that I've seen in many, many years."

Shakily, I took in a breath. And then another. "They told me that if I was ever tamed then I would die." The words were out before I could think better of them, Eric's eyes widening and then narrowing at the sudden confession.

"What?" he snarled, his lip curling away from his teeth as he glanced around the room. Like they were waiting at the door, about to come and slit my throat.

"I-" I gulped, wincing at the furious expression tightening his features. "After I met you, they told me that if I gave you more than sex than I would die."

His lips curled in a sneer. "What kind of fairytale trash is that?"

I blinked, reeling from the sudden question. What answer did I have for that?

"Have you ever even seen them outside of your dreams?" The way he said dreams made it clear how much he despised the very concept.

"N-no." I backtracked. "Except for the mare from tonight but she didn't even know who I was." At the furious tilt of his lips, I hurried to add a bit more context, struggling to think of what was relevant. "I've never met them but after he warning - well, they can make me feel pain. Pain enough to make me throw up when I wake."

His fangs flashed in another growl, his blue eyes blazing. "They hurt you?"

The ferocity in those three words made me wince, my fingers curling against his skin. "They were trying to-"

"Take make you obey," he sneered. "Flighty, narcissistic harpies - that's what the mares have always been."

A bubble of indignation ballooned into existence, a half-hearted defense on my tongue as he glared at the spot that his fingers were tracing shapes - _runes?_ \- along my back.

"Even though I think that they're a bunch of old hags with too much time on their hands…" His teeth gritted. "We'll take it slow. I'll reach out discreetly to some acquaintances and see if I can weed them out on my end. In the meantime, try and root around that… holy place-" His eyes rolled. " And see if you can dig up some locations."

I blinked, the sudden well of hope in my chest so blinding that for a moment I thought I was fooling myself. It couldn't possibly be this easy… Could it? "You-you'll help me?"

Those gorgeous, blues eyes blinked, surprise lighting his features before a soft smile curved his lips. Slowly, he leaned closer, our lips grazing in a tease to an actual kiss. "I don't like my things to be yanked around by dirty hands."

Why did that make a burst of warmth shiver through me?

Smiling, I leaned forward, my teeth tugging along his bottom lip. His whole body tensed, the hand at my hair stilling. I blinked. Maybe no biting lips. Wincing i drew back, freezing at the cold tilt of his eyes as they jerked to the door. "Eric? I'm sor-"

A low groan curled from his lips, his eyes moving remorsefully to my breasts, one hand following the shift and cupping the solid mass in his hand. "I'm afraid we have an unwelcome guest."

I followed his gaze to the bedrooms closed door, sifting through all the people that I knew would bother us in Texas. It was a very shortlist. "Sookie won't-"

His eyes tipped up to meet mine as he leaned forward to run his tongue along my nipple, slowly. His fangs against my skin made a shiver race through my body. "You know that pesky maker you had me chase away?"

"Who - _oh_...oooohhhh nooo." It was hard to sound too worried when Eric's fangs pinched into my breast, hsi big hands holding me up to his mouth. And making me unbearably wet. My eyes narrowed at the slow tilt to his lips, his bug body expanding on a deep breath. On second thought maybe that was on purpose.

"Come, pet," he sighed, giving me one final lick before he was rolling from the bed, his muscles rippling in a way that made me think of maybe trying to seduce him back to me. "Time to meet Bill's mommy."

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_REVIEW AND KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU! BLM AND REMEMBER THAT CORONA IS STILL A THING SO WASH YO SELF._


	26. Timebomb

_Things have been kind of crazy. I'm scheduled to deploy in a very short amount of time so my life has been all over the place. But I am here for... YOU! Just imagine a pippy dun dun dah ahead of that "you." Anyway I'm sorry but I don't have time to answer any of the comments for this chapter but just know that I can't get enough of you guys reviewing._

_So, as always... let's do some bad things, shall we?_

* * *

No bra. No panties. I snarled as I tugged down my tank top, feeling the denim of my jeans rub against some _very_ raw areas.

"If you glare too hard, you might actually hurt me, love," Eric drawled from across the room, his shoulders rolling in an obscenely seductive way as he tugged up his jeans.

 _Don't get distracted. Don't get distracted_ , I chided myself, my eyes narrowing further as he tossed a smug smirk over his shoulders. _Cocky bastard._ " _Someone_ tore my underwear," I snap, teeth-baring as that smirk grew into a flash of fangs, his head tipping to the side with a laugh.

He turned, leaning down in another dazzling roll of muscles and lean grace to pick up his own top from the ground. "It was a good night, hm?"

"Now I have no underwear," I continued on heatedly, jerking on my leather jacket and ignore the annoyingly bare way that even such a small movement made me feel. "Do you know how much those costed? I don't know if you realize this but I'm a _bartender_. Not a fucking actress."

He wasn't listening to me. His eyes had slipped down to my breasts, my nipples unnervingly apparent beneath the thin fabric. A slow breath slipped from his lips, his eyes dilating in the dim light. Against my rib cage, my heart gave an answering thump, my abdomen twisting in silly knots. We had just had sex and I was already amping up for more. _Down, girl._

"I'll buy you more," he said, his voice rough, gravel rolling along my spine and making me shiver as he stalked a bit closer. His fingers scraped roughly along the sliver of skin visible between where my tank ended and jeans began, gripping my hip and dragging me up against his hard front. His eyes were dark, stormy. His fingers coil in my hair, tugging my chin back so that his lips can travel the long expanse of my throat. "Get you enough to fill your whole room if you want."

My voice was strangled when I answered, my vision going hazy as my fingers tangled in the front of his shirt, trying to drag him closer. "The one will do."

His fingers dig into my ass, my front rubbing along his in an enticing promise. "Mm." He pulls back enough so that I can see the dark tilt of his lips, the barest flash of fangs. "We'll see."

And then he's pulling away, his fingers tightening for a moment in my hair before he's moving to the door, opening it to the dark hall beyond. _What a bastard,_ I seeth, blinking across the room at him as my pulse rabbits and then slows, the blood slushing quickly through my body. He knew what he was doing.

Eric's eyes glint like blue flames through the darkness, his lips still tipped in that arrogant way of his. "Coming, _mare_?"

I snarl, storming toward him and jabbing a finger into that ridiculously chiseled chest and glaring up at him, nearly rolling to my tippy toes so that I'll gain another inch of indignation. "Don't think that just because we had sex this means that you can boss me around. I can still kick your ass any day of the week."

His eyes shimmer, his nose nearly touching mine as he leans down, his body like an avalanche that's threatening to overtake me. "Talk like that to me again, sweetheart, and I'll be fucking you against the wall."

 _Promise_? I sneer, flipping my hair in a false display of bravado even as I know that my pulse is giving me away, his eyes and smirk following me as I sashay away. I'm tempted to say something snarky, to challenge him again just so that he'll take care of these ridiculous base urges that are currently overpowering every other rational thought in my head. Instead, I tilt my head back, meeting his gaze with a quirked brow. "Coming, Viking?"

The only answer I get is the slide of his tongue rubbing across his fangs, his eyes hooded. And then a whisper of air and he's beside me.

Chemistry. It was always something that I had left to books. Something that romantic Sookie believed in and silly Jason perpetrated in his endless flings. But sizzling between us, hidden in the sideways glances, the tightening of Eric's jaw every time I let my side rub along his, there it was.

"This is going to be annoying," Eric drawled, his hands shoving into the pockets of his jeans as he ran a cool gaze around the assembled vampires and humans, all lingering in small clusters around the first floor. Music beat softly through the whole of the house, traveling through the chic rooms. I caught the eyes of a few curious stares, some fangs snapping down as they turned to stare at us.

I blinked, frowning. Not threatening looks but… I glanced up, meeting Eric's smug stare. "Why are some of them staring?"

He leaned down, one hand spanning my hip as he took a long, deep breath, his own fangs snapping down. Slowly, he leaned back, his eyes heavy-lidded as he stared down at me. "You smell like me," he murmured, his voice guttural. "They're just keying onto the fact that you're mine. And that they shouldn't touch."

I gulp, heat burning along my cheeks at his frank words. And the small smiles from some of the vampires who clearly heard what he had just said. For a moment, I fumble with words, trying to untangle some of the confusing emotions winding all together inside of me.

"Lorena!" From another room, I feel the rippling of anxiety, heightening emotions that border on fear. Excitement. And anger.

Eric's head jerks to the side, his shoulders going up as his eyes narrow on a room just to our left a bit down the hall. I can hear the sudden hush of voices, the leaning of bodies as vampires and humans alike turn to the sound.

"Stay here," Eric drawls, looking like a teacher who's been forced to host detention in his free time. His big hand goes to my nape, giving me a gentle squeeze before he's pulling away and turning in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" I snap.

"To get someone who actually gives a damn about such trivial drama," he says. He shoots me a warning glance. "Stay here, Runa."

And then I'm gawking at empty air. A female vampire near me gives me a sympathetic smile, her glass tipping into the air in a silent salute. Which somehow makes me even more indignant at being left in a hallway while my sister gets into what sounds to be turning into a very heated exchange.

Down the hall, the hiss of two women reaches a level loud enough that it bounces to me, not loud enough that I can make out voices but just this side of being a true fight. Anxiety prickles my skin, my senses reaching out as my muscles tense, leaning toward the sound. Oddly enough, I can't feel Sookie in that room… But I can feel Jason and he's…

I jerk into action, dodging around a couple coming down the hall and sprinting for the crowded room. Everyone's attention is turned toward the center of the room, their bodies motionless like a garden of statues.

"Take those words back or they shall be your last." The woman that I saw just a few nights before is standing tall, her lips painted blood-red, her hair coiled into an updo that runs in riotous curls along the top of her head. Spilling down over the slender curves of her body, her gown is the same striking red of her lips, startling against the pale expanse of her skin.

And standing nearly a foot shorter is my sister, dressed in all white, glaring up at her. For a moment, I stall out at the outskirts of the room, my insides rolling with a burst of exasperation. If there's one thing that I've seen too much a from my time as the barkeep at a restaurant in bum-fuck nowhere - it's catfights. And looking at these two women, hissing at each other while Bill stands, dapper and slightly befuddled just between them, I instinctively know that that's what this is. And it's enough to make me want to cry having to see such ugliness on my sister.

Just over the assembled heads, I see my brother, his expression about the same shade of cringe as my own. For a moment, a silent understanding, our eyes meet.

"We're leaving!" Bill declares, bodily holding Sookie back as my sister bares her teeth and lunges at the much taller vampire. Whose fangs have, incidentally, come down.

"Go find someone else, you fucking bitch!" My sister screeches and my brother and I both wince, the words jarring even as I start to push my way through the swell of bodies. "You've lost this one!"

Cheap, bottle-store words. Too cliche to even come across as little more than a self-righteous claim. It's enough to make me look up and curse.

Bill, the glorified prize that he is, gets tossed aside like a rag doll, Lorena barely breaking stride as she slams my sister into the table running alongside them. My stomach clenches, my hands sizzling as I shove people out of the way. "MOVE!"

"SOOKIE!" I hear Jason scream as the sound of bottles crashing to the ground reverberates around the room. My heart gives a panicked leap, nausea tightening my throat as I nearly tackle a vampire in my effort to break through and get to Sookie. But I know I won't get there in time. There's still another row of people and they're not moving and vampires are so fast- "GET OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY!"

Silence. I pant, stumbling as I sprint right into the middle of the room.

"Retract your fangs." _Godric_. I blink, insides shaking at the soft command. He has a finger wrapped around Lorena's throat, his face tinged with the first sign of irritation that I've seen. Briefly, his eyes flick over to me, taking in the frazzled mess of my clothes, the barely-there purple flare of my powers as I force them back down. I wince, drawing my hands to my chest, hiding them.

But he saw it. I know he saw it.

Anxiously, my eyes search for Eric, finding his hulking form just behind Godric's, his face calm even if his eyes are telling me that he specifically told me to _stay put_. Guiltily, I duck my head, scrambling toward where my sister is sprawled out on the table, her breath ragged as she blinks up at the two imposing figures standing just beside her.

"Now," Godric murmurs, and his words are so gentle that I think for a moment that I might crawl under the table instead of get my sister. Because there's something about a vampire not using his power that makes me so afraid that I can't even fathom it. Nervously, I keep my senses keyed toward Godric and Lorena, hearing the soft snick of her fangs retracting. The powerhouse that I saw just moments before quivers, her whole body stock still as Godric forces her back by that hand to the throat.

"Get up," I hiss, bodily yanking my sister from the table as Bill levels himself from his sprawled position on the floor. I'm so angry with her that I'm almost shaking, my hands quivering in the collar of her dress as I hoist her from the table.

"I don't need-" she starts and my anger rockets higher at the petulant tilt of her lips, the way she's leaning around me and toward Bill. Bill who should have kept her away from this woman. Bill who couldn't even raise a hand to stop his maker. Bill who made her look like a weak, sniveling _human_.

"Shut the fuck up," I snap, my teeth baring down at Sookie as she stills, her eyes widening at the expression on my face. I keep her to my side with a hand around her bicep. "Just shut the fuck up for now."

Tension courses between us and I see Bill's face tighten with it, his body drifting closer but an awkward distance between where I'm holding my sister and him. I clamp down on the words that are bubbling up inside of me, forcing my attention back to where Godric is holding Lorena. If this was a different moment, a quieter one, I might have mistaken the hold for something more intimate. Something sweeter than it actually is. His hand is holding her so gently, her body positioned stiffly against the couch…

"I neither know nor care who you are," he begins, his eyes unwavering as he stares down at her. He says the words slowly, his gaze flicking over her with the attentiveness of an animal sensing fresh meat and ultimately deciding that he can do better. "But in this area and certainly in this nest, I am the authority." His eyes close for a moment as if he's amused by the thought and he gives her a small, friendly smile that makes me flinch. "Do you understand?"

Lorena's eyes stay on him, her lips barely moving as she answers. "Yes, Sheriff."

For a moment, I wonder if it will be that simple. My eyes flick to meet Eric's, finding him to be just as nonchalant as his maker, both of their bodies attentive but unbothered. Lorena isn't a threat. Not tonight and especially not in this nest with two of the oldest vampires in attendance. A misjudgment. A calculation that only Bill would be ruffled by my sister's death. On any other night, she would have been correct. The difference between my sister dead on a porcelain table amid empty bottles of TruBlood, two vampires. My fingers tighten on her bicep, my insides quivering with rage as she lets out a squeak of protest.

Lorena let's out a jagged gasp, her shoulders slumping as Godric gives her a small smile and releases his hold on her neck.

"This human has proven herself to be a courageous," his eyes flick to where my fingers are digging into her arm and I see the barest flash of a smile grace his lips before he's looking away once more. "And loyal friend to our kind. And yet you treat her like a child does a dragonfly pulling off wings her sport... No _wonder_ they hate us."

"She provoked me," Lorena whispers shakily and I feel dirty for even partially agreeing with her. My eyes snap to my sister, her face pinched as she stares at Lorena. Because even though Bill's maker is in all definitions a stalker and crazy, my sister is just as much a fool for playing into a game that she should be above.

I look back, my insides clenching as Godric's shoulders hunch, his body rolling forward as he stares down at the red-clad woman. "And you provoked me," he sneered, his lips curling. For a moment, the whole of the room tenses, each vampire tightening at the glimpse of rage in his voice. "You disrupted the peace in my own home. I could snap you like a _twig_." His voice barely raises, his eyes holding a certainty that makes me cold. On the couch, Lorena quivers, her eyes going misty. "And I haven't. Now, why is that?"

 _Because he's lived too long,_ I think. _Because you're not worth cleaning up off the floor. Because he's so powerful that you're not even a bug on his windshield._

He lets her answer, gives her enough time, his head tipping to the side. Disdain, barely there and yet ingrained in her bones, twists Lorena's lips. "It's… your choice."

"Indeed it is," Godric agrees, nodding. For a moment, his eyes run over her. "You're an old vampire - I can tell. You've had hundreds of years to better yourself, yet you haven't." Lorena's dark eyes snap away, something in her breaking at the words and Godric's eyes darken, his tone sharpening. "You are still a savage, and I fear for all of us, humans and vampires if this behavior persists."

Godric's attention turns, narrowing on where Bill still stands, his expression tense. "You. You seem to know her."

"Yes, Sheriff," Bill agrees, solemn.

The older vampire doesn't even blink. "Escort her from the nest." Somehow it seems like more of a humiliation, more of a defeat than if Godric had simply snapped her neck and be done with it. Bill and Sookie lean toward each other, whispering. "I wish your out of my area before dawn."

Wilted, broken in some internal way, Lorena leaves, Bill following silently behind her.

I wait, watching their retreat. Waiting… Waiting as she moves to the hall and then out of sight.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" I rage, my teeth baring as I shove my sister away from me roughly, my spine cracking as I straighten to my full height. Sookie's eyes widen, darting around to where Godric is still standing, his face politely blank even as his eyes flick over us, to where Eric stands just behind him, eyes dark and even past them to the still attentive room. I should take her outside. I should wait until we're alone. But seeing her - seeing her looking like she had done something _right_ \- like she had been _right-_

"You don't know what you're talking about," she defends, her arms crossing defensively in front of her and I want to laugh and slap her all at once. "That was Bill's maker - she - she came in here and said all sorts of vile things-"

"So you decided to _humor_ her?" I demand and consequences be damned - I jab a finger at the room at large. "In a room filled with people who couldn't care less about whether your pretty little human throat got ripped out?! How _stupid_ \- how _irresponsible-_ "

I lose words, seeing black as Sookie's face goes red. "Rune." Jason's fingers curl around my bicep, his eyes pleading as he tries to separate us.

"That's not what happened though!" Sookie snarls, her fingers balling. "Someone did stop her-"

"TWO PEOPLE OUT OF A ROOM OF 50!" I scream, mind nearly numbing with the sheer volume of people who had stood by - who hadn't moved when I had been clawing my way toward her. Jason's body is pressed up against mine now, his arms restraining me from reaching around and shaking her- Tears of pure anger well up as I stare at her, seeing the impassive recognition that goes through the crowd in the room. Godric looks away, his face crumbling a bit. My voice quivers, reaching a higher pitch as Sookie blinks up at me. "What would have happened if they weren't here? How would you have defended yourself? And after she ripped through you, who would she have gone after next?!" Horrified, I feel tears leak free, slipping down my cheeks, my fingers curling in my brother's worn shirt. "OUR BROTHER! The one who was trying to get to you! The one who would have tried to pull her off of you and GOTTEN HIS THROAT RIPPED OUT BECAUSE OF _YOU_! BECAUSE YOU NEEDED TO PISS ALL OVER YOUR BOYFRIEND LIKE A FUCKING ANIMAL!"

Jason's arms tighten around me, his face tensing in recognition. No. More like a tightening from a fact that was already in your head - harsher when spoken. His voice is softer now, pleading. "Rune, stop it."

"NO!" I scream, jabbing a finger at her, rageful and helpless - so helpless. Sookie's eyes are wide now, her bottom lip quivering as she stares at me. "And then - and then if Eric and Godric weren't here, _your_ _boyfriend's_ _maker_ would have ordered him to rip out _my_ throat! Because you didn't know that saying such stupid, irresponsible words makes you a target. And more than that, it makes the people who _protect_ you, a target too."

My words are near babble now, the scene playing out with such clarity in my mind that for a moment the horror is too real. Because if Eric and Godric hadn't been here then I would have been forced to expose myself - and the implications - the chance of being captured and eaten slowly, dissected for being something _other_ \- My stomach rolled and I could feel Eric's eyes, sad and watchful.

"She wasn't going to stop if-" But Sookie's voice is weak. "She wanted Bill-"

"You're better than this," I whisper, suddenly tired, wilting a bit in Jason's hold. His arms relax, understanding that there would be no more yelling. My eyes met my sisters. "You're supposed to be better than this."

I turn, feeling Eric's presence before I saw him, my body curling into his much bigger one on instinct alone. Love, I thought weakly should never be this degrading. Eric's lips touch my temple in the barest kiss. " _Dyrbara mare._ "

"Come on, Sook," I heard Jason murmur behind me and I pressed my face into Eric's chest, feeling sharp guilt at having so publicly humiliated her. But also unable to take it back. Unwilling ot feel enough sympathy to apologize.

My adrenaline drifted, slowing. And with the lack of emotions, came awareness. My teeth ached, my body stiffening.

"Runa?" Eric breathed, his eyes searching as my head snapped to the side, fingers tightening in his tank.

Dressed heavily in jeans and a thick jacket, a dark-haired boy sauntered into the room.

"Luke?" I heard Jason breath, confused.

"EXCUSE ME, EVERYONE," Luke boomed, somehow steady even though I could feel, could see from the sweat shining on his brow just how scared he was. My breath quickened, words jamming in my throat too quickly to force out. "My name is Luke McDaniel. I am a member of the Fellowship of the Sun."

"Danger." Too softly. I had said too softly. Eric's eyes widened, his body instinctively turning, shielding me as he yanked me a bit farther away. He was going toward where Godric was standing. But he didn't understand. The danger wasn't from the boy-

"And I have a message for you all from Reverend Steve Newlin."

"HE HAS A BOMB!" I finally screamed and from across the room, Luke's dark eyes met mine. "HE HAS A BOMB! GET AWAY FROM HIM."

His finger was already on the detonator.

* * *

_If you're new here, I welcome you to my story and if you're not then I want to welcome you back. How are you guys doing, lately? I hope you like this update and if you do drop a favorite and leave me a review._

_Swedish_ :

_Dyrbara mare: Precious mare_

_I was actually thinking about doing a short on Godric within the next few chapters. I wanted to see if that would be interesting for anyone. it would be OC/Godric with a new character and... yeah just let me know. But also let me know how you liked this chapter._

_Much love, LOVELY_


	27. Vem älskar du?

I sucked in a breath. And then hacked as my lunges rejected it, my tongue coated in a brick and mortar film. Someone was calling my name. I could barely make out the sound as my head throbbed, a low ringing buzzing through my eardrums.

"Runa!" Darkness. I felt a flutter of panic and then quickly realized that my eyes were closed. "Runa!"

Someone was screaming. I blinked and then squeezed my eyes shut again as the world spun. My whole body felt raw, my face wet from… I pulled my fingers away, retching as they came away red.

"Don't look at that," a voice commanded and I blinked again, my mind scrambling desperately at the details around me as I tried to piece everything together. A crescendo of voices crested, jabbing into me as I tried to concentrate. " _Mare_."

"Eric?" I rasped, my voice raw, chalky from the amount of powdered cement I was breathing in. It was getting into my eyes too, making it nearly impossible to see anything around me. Wincing, I brought up a hand, trying to clear my vision and came in contact with the hard expanse of a stomach. My guts tightened, my fingers curling into balls as I jerked, starting to fight against whatever was leveled off of me. My stomach rolled. _Whoever_ was on top of me.

Strong hands clamped around my own, batting them away. " _Lug-lugna ner, Älskling._ "

I stopped struggling, my muscles relaxing as I finally realized that it was Eric who was above me, his hands clamped over my ears. My vision slowly cleared as I brought up a palm to rub them, Eric's thumbs shadowing my own as he kept his palms pressed to my ears.

The den where moments ago I had been standing was now ripped apart, the ceiling seemingly one more push away from caving in, electrical wires sparking overhead in chaotic splutters. From the other rooms, I could hear moaning, soft screams and the clumsy clod of two sets of feet as they tried to…

"Hu-humans," I winced as my voice cracked, reaching up to squeeze onto Eric's wrists. I could feel their blood pounding through their veins, the frightened beat of their hearts as they went from room to room with… There was another sharp scream and then silence. I saw Eric's head whip to the side, his fangs clicking into place as his eyes dilated slightly.

"SOOKIE!" Bill's voice called, a hysterical edge to his voice and my heart plummeted once more, my body jerking to the side as I tried to see something other than overturned pieces of furniture and rubble.

Painting a far corner… I gagged, my eyes blurring as tears slithered down my cheeks. Splattered, wedged into the open drywall and insulation were chunks of… I retched again, unable to look away. Human flesh and organs, slimy, shimmering in the crackling sparks of the wires above.

Above me, Eric was making an odd sound, his breath sawing in and out of him at odd, quick intervals.

"Sookie!" Bill's voice was closer now but I could barely do more than a cursory glass around me before Eric was leaning heavily to the side, his powerful body suddenly going dead like a weight cut free of strings.

"Eric," I whimpered, my back and legs throbbing from what I assumed was the after-effects of having been blasted to the ground by the explosion. Gritting down on the pain, I leveled myself up farther and turned to him, running a hand over the column of his throat and then down over his shoulders and farther-

" _Dåraktig viking_ ," I snarled, grabbing his shoulder to level him off the ground and onto his back. I nearly threw up from the sight - my gut tightening at the shredded muscles and tendons of his back, the wedges of silver that were protruding from all along his spine as well as a jagged piece sticking out of his side. " _Vad tänkte du?_ "

It came out more watery than I had thought it would, my voice shaking, afraid for a whole other reason than the one that I had originally thought. My fingers shook, my nerve wavering as I realized that I would have to dig into his skin… I turned to the side, bile burning the back of my throat.

"Wasn't - didn't listen to you when you warned…" His voice wavered, stuttering off as he drew in an uncomfortable breath. "... Had to cover you."

"Don't do that again," I snapped, shaking as I repeated it again in Swedish.

Grabbing onto the anger that I felt and holding onto it for dear life, I forced away my terror at what I had to be done. Just anything for me to not have to see him in this pain any longer than necessary. Clumsy fingers tore into one of the rips in my thigh, tearing it open violently as I positioned my leg closest to his head. Even in the low light, I saw his eyes dilate slightly, his nostrils flaring at the expanse of open skin.

"Bite," I ordered, running my fingers through the blood-splattered strands of his hair, coming away with chunks of cement and dust. My teeth gnawed into my cheek as I moved my other hand tentatively to his side.

His breath, cold enough to make me shiver ghosted along my inner thigh, his lips barely brushing the skin. Hesitantly, I felt his fangs follow, scraping enough to make my abdomen knot. "You're sure?"

I took a shaky breath. And then another. Eric wouldn't die from his wounds. And his body's natural propensity to heal would push the silver out in the next hour but… my stomach tightened at the thought of him lying here for that amount of time. It would be faster if he drank my blood while I pulled out as much of the silver as I could.

"RUNA!" Sookie's voice called weakly and I looked to the entrance to see Sookie, blood-splattered and wobbling stumble into the room. My brother and Godric followed closely behind. At least my warning had come soon enough that most of the vampires and humans had gotten out.

Bill blurred into the room, his face stricken as he finally caught sight of Sookie. I waved a hand, catching their attention before they could start making out in the middle of this disaster zone.

Eric's chin jerked, his eyes narrowing on one of the blown-out corridors as a figure stumbled, panting. "Get the humans."

A low snarl rumbled from the vampire, both Sookie and Jason huddling behind Godric as the older maker ran a cool gaze around at the injured in the room, not even bothering to glance toward the now fleeing human. Bill was gone before i could blink.

"I don't have all day," I whispered, turning back to Eric with a gentle nudge to the back of his head. His eyes met mine, clear as a sea wave - as if he were asking my permission one last time. I rolled my eyes, my fingers curling around the biggest shard in his side. "This will hurt a lot more if you just sit there and take it."

I don't wait for a reply this time, my teeth biting into my cheek as I jerk the piece out with a stiff yank. Blood splurts, coating my forearm as Eric gives an angry snarl like a lion that just got bitten by an annoying rival.

There's no slow caress - no hesitation now. Angrily, as if he's a child throwing a tantrum, his teeth sink past the top layer of my skin and then deeper, a gush of blood spilling past his lips and down my thigh. My whole world tips, pain lancing up my spine like tiny needles diving into the soft membrane of my spinal cord. I stopped searching out another piece of silver, my fingers shaking as my whole body rejected having Eric slicing open my skin and glugging it down.

" _Förlåt_." It was barely loud enough for me to hear, his hands clutching at me, trying to drag me closer as he greedily lapped at the open incision. Eric's fingers bit into my knee, his other arm winding around my hip to drag me closer as he bit down again.

I took a deep breath, breathing through the pain until it eventually became just an ache. There was nothing sensual about this feeling, nothing good about the light-headedness that came from having my blood slowly drained. But - Soft plinks echoed, drawing my attention to the fact that his wounds were slowly closing, the silver slithering from his body to leave behind pink, new flesh. I sighed, relief loosening my chest as I reached around to pull out another large shard of silver embedded in his shoulder. He snarled, his teeth baring against my skin, arm tightened around my waist.

"Giant baby," I whispered, watching as his back once again returned to the smooth expanse of rolling muscles and unbroken skin.

Eric's tongue lapped at the wound, his body rumbling like a giant cat's as he gently cleaned the open wound. His eyes flicked to meet mine, bluer than I had ever seen them, his lids drowsy as if he had just run 7 miles and had just crawled into bed after a shower.

Isabel's voice cuts through the moment, her perfect hair in tangles as she stumbles to the middle of the room. "Everyone! Please!"

There are a few others around us, vampires picking each other up as they slowly heal. I'm sure more than a few still are unable to hear, their eardrums blown. Eric's eyes flick to them, his shoulders rolling as he levels himself onto an elbow, testing his back as he does. Across the room, Godric moves silently forward, his face still impassive even as his eyes catch on someone's blown off leg, a finger, an arm.

Stepping from our sister's side, Jason's voice booms, drawing everyone's attention immediately. "Hey! Y'all listen up!"

Godric steps forward. "They may come back. Go to the Hotel Camilla. They've been alerted, security is in place."

They leave silently, clutching at each other like crumpled cards trying to stay upright. I've never seen vampires look so broken. Never seen them anything but rageful animals of base urges. But the way they leave now without a word, looking around like the humans took something more than a few friends from their lives…

Eric's arms circle my waist, lifting me effortlessly to my feet before I even knew that he had gotten up. My head spun, vision blurring at the sudden upright position and I gulped as my legs suddenly went watery. Luckily, it seemed that Eric was expecting it, his arms looping under my shoulders and knees as he hefted me up. I blinked, wanting to say something cutting but finding instead that it was probably better if I shut my eyes and kept my mouth shut against the suddenly wavering world around me.

"Feeling a bit weak in the knees, love?" he murmured, his lips brushing my temple. I could feel the smile curling his lips, the gentle way that he cradled me closer to his chest. It was enough to make me wish that I could pummel him.

"Shut up," I muttered tiredly, feeling my mind go a little lighter. Oh god - I couldn't - I gulped, biting down on my tongue to try and keep myself in the present. Between the nighttime raid of the Newlin's church, the excessive use of my powers and then the… activities afterward added onto the bombing and feeding - the only thing that had been keeping me going was probably the spike of Eric's blood. " _Du är skyldig mig-_ "

I passed out.

* * *

_I originally wanted this to be longer but... Well, sometimes I want to give you guys more chapters so I just post my shorter chapters. It might be a character flaw. I haven't decided yet._

_Swedish Translation:_

_**Vem älskar du?** : Who do you love?_

_**Lugna ner, Älskling:** Calm down, darling._

_**Dåraktig viking:** Idiotic/foolish viking_

_**Vad tänkte du?:** What were you thinking?_

_**Förlåt:** Sorry_

_**Du är skyldig mig-:** You owe me-_


End file.
